Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends
by Ryu
Summary: COMPLETED! Rachael, a Belmont descendant, receives a visit from Renon about her brothers mysterious disappearance. With his help, she must find him. But, is he really as helpful as he sounds?
1. The Calling

Disclaimer: Castlevania is the property of Konami.  
  
Now, before the story begins, there are a few things you need to know. First, this will take place in the modern times. Second, it will begin with a Belmont descendant living in the U.S. And finally, it will be an original character. Give it a chance, you might like it. Also, this is my first attempt at a serious fic, so please go easy on me. With that said, on with the fic!  
  
Castlevania: Sonnet of legends  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The Calling  
  
Rachael Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, whose great grandparents immigrated to America, was in her room, typing up her college homework on her computer. She wouldn't normally be working so much, but her mom made her study hard.  
  
Rachael's mom was somewhat on the strict side. She always was overprotective of her only two children. Ever since her husband went on a business trip to Romania, but never returned, she didn't want to risk losing the only family she had left. Sure, they had her father in law, but she didn't like the nonsense he used to talk about. Things like vampires, demons, destiny and stuff.  
  
Although Rachael herself didn't believe her grandfather, she loved to hear about the stories of her descendants. How they always fought the fabled Count Dracula over the centuries. He would always tell her and her brother to always be prepared if he should ever be risen again. She chuckled to herself at how her brother would always take what he said so seriously.  
  
While she was in her half daze, her voicemail snapped her out of it. She opened up the instant message board, and to her delight, was her internet pal, whom she spoke to for over a year. He went by the penname 'Lawyer of Darkness' or 'LD' for short. She always went by the penname 'Destiny.'  
  
"Destiny? Are you there?" he typed.  
  
"Yes, I am." She typed back. "Great to hear from you again."  
  
"So how is it in America?"  
  
"Alright, I guess. Just me, my brother, my mom, and my homework. And you? Are you enjoying England?"  
  
"Quite frankly, I am. In fact, I'll be going on a business trip soon."  
  
"Really? To where?"  
  
"You know. Here and there. Wherever the money takes me."  
  
Rachael laughed. She always thought his quest for money was amusing. "That sounds just like you!"  
  
"Have you ever done any traveling?"  
  
"Nope. I once wanted to travel to Romania. You know, just to see what my grandpa was so uppity about. But my parents wouldn't let me. She said it might be a bad influence."  
  
"Really? How so?"  
  
"Well..can you keep a secret?"  
  
"I have all these months, haven't I?"  
  
"Okay then. You see, my grandpa believes that Dracula was a real person, and not just a historical figure."  
  
"Hmm..quite the superstitious one, wasn't he?"  
  
"You bet he is! He even has my brother believing that our ancestors were vampire hunters. Isn't that hilarious?"  
  
There was quite a long pause before he finally responded. After a few minutes, she typed again. "LD? Are you still there?"  
  
After a few more seconds, he responded. "I am just fine. I was rudely interrupted." Then he went back on the subject. "So tell me. What were the last names of these so called 'vampire hunters?'?"  
  
"Why does it matter?"  
  
"Let's just say that I have a fascination for old stories."  
  
"Well, you're not gonna believe this, but they're supposed to be Belmont's."  
  
"Ah, I see. So you're last name is Belmont?"  
  
"Exactly, which is why my grandpa can blow this all out of proportion."  
  
"Quite understandable. Pity, though, isn't it? Wouldn't it be quite an adventure if it 'was' real?"  
  
"Well yeah, if it was real..."  
  
After a short pause, she typed in something else. "LD? We've been talking for over a year now, and I have no idea what you look like."  
  
"I can say the same for you."  
  
"Well, I have blond hair that reaches to my waist, I'm 5' 7", age 20, and I have pale skin."  
  
"Pale? I'm surprised you didn't say 'cream colored.'"  
  
"If only. Unfortunately, I can't say that. I also wanted blue eyes like my mother, but I wasn't so fortunate in the gene pool. I'm not ugly, mind you. I'm actually a little pretty. I'm just not ravishing, not that I care. In fact, all I ever wear are blue jeans and tank tops."  
  
"So you're not vain. Nothing wrong with that."  
  
"So enough about me! What do 'you' look like?"  
  
"Well...I must confess that I'm somewhat of an older gentleman."  
  
"That's okay. I had a feeling you were."  
  
"Anyways, my attire usually consists of business suits, dark sunglasses, and a derby on my head. I'm 5' 9", and have a goatee."  
  
"Sounds cool!"  
  
"You have no idea..."  
  
Rachael wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she shrugged the thought off. Before she had a chance to type something else, he had already typed in another message.  
  
"You know, one of my business errands involve a trip to Chicago, Illinois. If you're around, perhaps we could meet?"  
  
"Really? You're headed to Chicago? Cool! That's the area where I live!"  
  
"What a splendid coincidence. Perhaps we can meet somewhere for a spot of tea."  
  
"I'm not too partial for tea, but how about a cappuccino at the local Starbucks?"  
  
"....Did you just say 'Starbucks?"  
  
"Yep. I go there often with my friends."  
  
"Funny you should often go to that place. I have a business appointment with 'just' those precise people."  
  
"Cool! How did that happen?"  
  
"It's quite a long story, so I'll just tell you about it when we meet there tomorrow at 4pm, Central daylight time. Exactly 30 minutes after my business is over."  
  
"Oh. But how are you gonna get here so fast?"  
  
"I'm already on the plane, and should arrive there at 4 in the morning."  
  
"4?! You don't sleep much, do you?"  
  
"Not really. I'm what you would call a 'night' person."  
  
"Ohh, I get it now! Kind of like a workaholic, right?"  
  
"Err, yes. Something like that."  
  
Then she looked at the time, and gasped. She didn't realize how much time had gone by.  
  
"Listen. I have to go now. This report is due tomorrow, and I need to finish it quickly. Bye!"  
  
"Until tomorrow, farewell."  
  
Then he disconnected. When he did, she immediately went to typing as quickly as possible.  
  
While she was typing, her mother walked in to check up on her. When she saw that her daughters' homework wasn't done yet, she frowned.  
  
"You're still not done?" she asked sternly.  
  
"No, not yet." Rachael answered.  
  
"....You were talking online again, weren't you?"  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"The fact that you can't hide anything from me." Then she continued. "Have you even met the person?"  
  
"Yes, I have." It technically wasn't a lie...as long as she really 'did' meet him tomorrow.  
  
"Well, as long as you've met him before." Then she sighed. "You know, your father was often this secretive of his friends. I hope that 'you' don't make the same mistake."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
"Well, good night. Don't stay up too late." Then she left.  
  
After two and a half straight hours of typing, she finally printed out her report, and went to bed.  
  
Morning  
  
Rachael had overslept, and was rushing out the door to meet her carpool. She wore her usual blue jeans, white tank top, and black open toed sandals. She got in the car, closed the door, and it sped away towards the college district.  
  
Meanwhile  
  
The location was Starbucks. The manager was getting things ready for their financial benefactor. He was a bit chubby, wore a red vest, black pants, and black hair with a receding hairline. After preparations were complete, he spoke to his employees.  
  
"Now be prepared, everyone. If it wasn't for this man, Starbucks wouldn't be what it is today. Now just keep everything clean, and this afternoon, we'll give our best impression."  
  
Unfortunately, the second he finished his sentence, one of the employees ran towards him.  
  
"He's here! He's here!"  
  
"What?!" The manager exclaimed. "How?! I didn't even see him enter!"  
  
"I'm not sure, sir. However, he's inside your office."  
  
"Alright, then. I'll go. Just keep the business flowing as usual." Then he walked inside his office.  
  
When he shut the door, there the guy was. He was behind the managers' chair, holding a briefcase, and donning a blue business suit, red necktie, blue derby, and dark sunglasses.  
  
"Ah, Renon. Pleasure to see you again. Please, have a seat."  
  
"Thank you." He said as he sat down on the manager's chair. The manager just shrugged, and took the seat in front of it. "So, now onto business. I have yet another business arrangement in Romania, and I mustn't be late in delivering the package."  
  
The manager looked at the suitcase. "That must be it, huh."  
  
"Not really. This is what I use for all of my business."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Then he pulled out a contract, unrolled it, and handed it to the manager. "I believe you know what this is for."  
  
"You know, even after signing this, I 'still' can't read what it says."  
  
"Basically, after spending over 50 million American dollars, you forfeit your soul."  
  
The manager looked at him nervously. "Heheh....that's a joke, right?"  
  
"I do not joke." Then his sunglasses formed a slight tint of red. "I've come to collect my payment."  
  
The manager quickly jumped out of his chair, and had his back against the wall. "W-w-wait a minute! I didn't spend that much money!"  
  
"No, but your boss did. In exchange for his own soul to be spared, I get yours instead, providing you were foolish enough to sign the contract."  
  
"Bu-but, i-isn't that illegal?! W-what do "I" get?"  
  
"Remember all of those raises you received in such short time?"  
  
"Y-yeah." He answered, finally getting the message. "B-but I th- thought that was f-for great work!"  
  
"Please do not delude yourself. Every employee under you thinks of you as a greedy tyrant." Then Renon took out a pocket watch, and looked at it. "Now if you don't mind, I have another business of a higher paying client I must attend to." Then he put the watch back in his pocket. He looked at the manager, who now had a magnum in his hand.  
  
"Its reasons like this why I always carry one of these!" he exclaimed, all the while pointing it to the demon salesman.  
  
Renon just looked at the gun, and smirked. "If you really think it'll do anything, by all means, fire your weapon. But make it quick. I mustn't be late."  
  
Then the manager fired straight into the demons head, knocking him behind the desk. "Ya weren't expecting, that, were ya?!" Then he heard panic ensue as customers and employees were frantically exiting the place when they heard a gun fire. He quickly put the magnum back in his holster, and went to the dining area to try to calm the customers down.  
  
However, everyone had already left, except for one employee, who was hiding behind the bar table. He was going to approach the guy, but then he heard a clicking sound. He turned around, and saw that all the doors have been instantly shut. To frighten him even more, all of the drapes shut, leaving the room in darkness, save for one desk light.  
  
The manager quickly pulled out his magnum, aiming it at nowhere in particular. Suddenly, he heard the demons voice, but couldn't spot from which direction.  
  
"I suppose I'm partially to blame for this delay. Oh well. If you will not give up your soul willingly, I'll have to take it by force." Then the voice deepened. "Your soul is mine!"  
  
The manager quickly turned around, and saw this horrifying demon right in front of him. It had lower appendages of a spirit, the body of a red human like creature, giant bat-like wings, and a goats head. In his hands, he held a rather large scythe. Without speaking, he decapitated the frightened manager with his scythe, and then absorbed the soul before it could leave the body.  
  
After collecting the soul, Renon transformed back, and then teleported away. He didn't care for the frightened employee, since no one would believe him anyways.  
  
Meanwhile: a little later at the college  
  
Rachael was busy taking notes during her math class, when her pager went off. She forgot to set it to vibrate during class, so she was forced to leave for the day.  
  
While grumbling, she went to a phone booth to answer it. The caller was her grandfather.  
  
"Grandpa!" she answered irritably. "Your call just got me kicked out of class today!"  
  
"Then it's your fault for forgetting to turn your pager off, again."  
  
"Well...yeah....but still! What do you want?!"  
  
"Wait in the front of the building for me. I have to pick you up right away."  
  
"Why? What happened?"  
  
"It's very urgent. I'll let you know when I get there. In the meantime, watch who you talk to." Then he hung up.  
  
"Grandpa? Grandpa?" The she hung up. The tone in his voice worried her a little, but she waited for him nonetheless. While she was waiting, one of her friends came out of the classroom. She had short brown hair, tanned skin, a leather type getup, and was kind of skinny. She saw Rachael, and sat down next to her.  
  
"Hey, Rachael." She said.  
  
"Hey, Kim." Rachael answered back.  
  
"So, what happened?"  
  
"It was my grandpa. He wants to talk to me urgently for some reason."  
  
"I wonder what it's about."  
  
"Who knows? Sometimes he can act a little weird, especially when he's talking about vampires and stuff."  
  
"Really? Are you sure he isn't getting senile?"  
  
"You would think so." Then she sighed in frustration. "It's like he's living in a different world or something. Why couldn't I just have a normal grandpa?"  
  
"At least 'your' grandpa is exciting. All mine does is sit around all day watching TV."  
  
Rachael chuckled at this. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I still wish he wouldn't act so serious about it, though."  
  
While they were talking, they heard a car horn. Rachael looked towards the sound. It was her grandfather. Rachael picked up her backpack, waved goodbye to her friend, and got in. Then they drove off.  
  
Later: At Rachael's home  
  
When they reached Rachael's house, there were police cars parked there. She quickly ran out of the car, and into the house, only to see her mother crying her eyes out. Rachael tried to ask her mother what happened, but to no avail. She was crying too much. One of the officers told her that her brother had been kidnapped by some stranger. At this, she dropped to her knees, completely shocked at the news.  
  
"Didn't you get a description?!" exclaimed Rachael's grandfather.  
  
"No, sir. It was strange, really. The crime happened in broad daylight, yet none of the potential witnesses remember seeing anything." Then he took out a piece of paper. "However, a note was sent to us, saying to give it to this address. We read it, and this is what happened."  
  
Basically, the note said that 'we have kidnapped your son, Phillip Belmont. The bloodline shall cease! If anyone else is reading this first, send it to the following address...'  
  
The police then asked them several questions, and then left. They had an incident at a local Starbucks that needed investigating. Rachael's mother had cried herself to sleep, and her grandfather was muttering something about 'bad times ahead.' Rachael noticed this.  
  
"Grandpa? Do you know about this?"  
  
"Yes, unfortunately. Now I know you've never believed me in the past, but you must do so now! Count Dracula has apparently been risen, and wants to end the Belmont lineage."  
  
Rachael shook her head. "Grandpa! Stop it with your stories! It's not the right time for them!"  
  
He then frowned. "It is not a story! When will you learn that?!"  
  
Rachael was now in tears. She couldn't believe that her grandfather was still talking nonsense at a time like this. They were arguing back and forth, until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Rachael's grandfather went to answer it. He opened the door, and looked at the stranger quizzically. Rachael remembered the features that were written to her. The business suit, the red neck tie, the derby, the sunglasses, the goatee, and the briefcase. Her eyes lit up in excitement.  
  
"LD?" she asked, hoping that she was right.  
  
He looked at her and smiled. "Destiny, I take it."  
  
Then she hugged him. "It's so great to finally meet you! How did you find the place?"  
  
"A police officer directed me here."  
  
She looked at him quizzically. "How?"  
  
Her grandfather looked at him suspiciously. "That's what I'd like to know."  
  
He tipped his hat and bowed. "I am Renon. A businessman, mostly in the profession of helping those in need. Who would've guessed that it would be my long time pen pal that needed my assistance?"  
  
"You're a detective?" her grandfather asked.  
  
"Yes, among other things."  
  
Rachael then spoke again. "I'm sorry that you couldn't have visited us at a better time."  
  
"No need for apologies. After all, fate must've brought us to this same place. It is my duty to help those that might need it." Then he looked at her grandfather. "Of course, I don't come cheap. But I guarantee that I can find your grandson."  
  
"Name your price." He answered.  
  
"Normally, I would demand much money. However, given the present circumstances, I shall do it under the condition that Rachael helps me in my search."  
  
This shocked him. "What?! Of all the lousy---"But Rachael interrupted him.  
  
"Sure. I don't see anything wrong with that."  
  
"Good. Then it is settled. Your brother is currently residing in Romania. We must depart quickly."  
  
This confused Rachael. "But how did you know?"  
  
"I am sorry to inform you of this, but demons are quite real indeed."  
  
Rachael rolled her eyes. "Not you too!"  
  
Her grandfather, however, was now terrified, and was now pointing at the tail that was on the demon sales mans backside. Rachael saw this, and was also now terrified. Renon noticed this, and quickly spoke up.  
  
"Wait! I am not an enemy! I was sent to help you!"  
  
Her grandfather quickly got in a battle stance. "Give me my grandson back!"  
  
"For the last time, I'm here to 'help' you find your son!"  
  
"And why should I trust a demon?!"  
  
"Because you don't have any other choice!"  
  
"Wrong! I can just travel to Romania myself!"  
  
"I see. So you plan to fight the Count at your old age? Your powers would not be strong enough. At least if Rachael comes with me, I can help her survive long enough to find her brother. After that, however, she can choose to retreat, or fight the Count."  
  
Rachael's eyes widened at this. "Now wait a minute! First off, that tail of yours might just be a trick. Second, I don't believe in any of what you two are saying! And third, even if I did, I wouldn't fight any vampires! I can barely even fight!"  
  
Renon grinned at this. "Perhaps that is so. But, if you can find your father, he can do it for you."  
  
Everyone's eyes widened. Rachael was the first to speak.  
  
"What?! My dads alive?! And you knew it the whole time?!"  
  
"Yes, I did. You see, that business trip of his was merely a trap in order to lure him to the castle, and then enslave his mind. And since he didn't believe in the legends, doing so was quite a simple task."  
  
Rachael's grandfather was the next to speak. "I knew it! He should've listened to me! He should've brought the family whip!"  
  
"Yes, that is a shame." Then he brought a contract out of his briefcase. "I'll need you to sign here. You see, even though I'll help Rachael get to the castle, it will require money in order for me to help her stay alive. Of course, all I can do is assist. She must do the fighting on her own."  
  
"Wait a minute!" shouted Rachael. "Don't I get a say in this?!"  
  
"You 'do' want your brother back, right?"  
  
She then sighed. "Yes. Very well. Where do I sign?"  
  
This made Renon a bit nervous. "Um, actually, since your grandfather is wiser in his years, it is best that 'he' worry about the bill."  
  
Her grandfather then picked up the contract, and tried to read it. After a few seconds, he grimaced.  
  
"What's it supposed to say?!"  
  
"Simply that I must assist your granddaughter in any way that involves providing assistance and the necessary equipment that'll help her on her travels. And the whole cost of the supplies and help is billed to you."  
  
"That's it? No catch?"  
  
"Well, there 'are' some penalties for not paying, but other than that, not really."  
  
"Alright then. I'll sign." So he did. The minute he signed his name, Renon rolled up the contract and gave it to Rachael. "Use this contract whenever you wish to summon me, for once we reach Romania, I cannot be seen with you."  
  
"Why not?" asked Rachael.  
  
"I would be noted as a traitor to the other demons. So if at anytime I appear before you, it must be in a place where I cannot be seen."  
  
"Hmm...alright, I guess."  
  
"Then it is settled. We shall leave at dawn."  
  
"Okay....Um, Renon?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why did you hide who you were for that whole year?"  
  
"Would you have believed me if I said that I was a demon salesman?"  
  
"No, I guess not."  
  
"Exactly. Well then, good night." Then he bowed again, and vanished, leaving a gaping Rachael behind.  
  
Later: Evening  
  
After telling Rachael's mom all that had happened, she didn't believe them.  
  
"So why are you 'really' going to Romania?" she asked.  
  
"Face it; she's not going to believe us no matter what we tell her." Her grandfather said.

"This is true." Said Rachael. "I'm even having trouble believing it myself, but what choice do I have?"  
  
"Listen," her mom started, "I don't really care 'what' the reason, I still don-"she stopped talking at the sight of her grandfather quickly running up the stairs. "Now where is 'he' going?"

Moments later, her grandfather returned with the legendary whip that was handed down from generation to generation."This whip will help you on your journey. It has helped every Belmont who has held it, and it will help you."  
  
"Thanks, grandpa." She said. "Although I'm not sure I'm ready for such a task."

"There isn't much choice, granddaughter." He replied. "Just have faith in God, and everything will be alright."  
  
Her mother, however, rolled her eyes. "I never thought that you, Rachael, out of all people, would buy into this nonsense!"

"I know, mom, but I have to at least try."  
  
After some more talking, they all went to bed. While they were sleeping, a knock was heard from the door. Rachael's mother woke up, and answered it. When she saw who it was, she sighed in relief. Finally, she called Rachael.  
  
"Rachael! Your friend Kim is here!" then she said to Kim. "Perhaps 'you' can talk some sense into her."  
  
So when Rachael went to the living room, she looked surprised.  
  
"Kim? What are you doing here? Couldn't you have just called?"  
  
"I know, but I had this feeling that something was wrong."  
  
"Well, you couldn't be more right."  
  
After letting her in, she explained everything that had happened. Kim sat there in awe.  
  
"So you're actually going to Romania to save him?"  
  
"Looks that way."  
  
"Not that I believe you or anything, but can I go to Romania with you? I'll even pay for my own plane ticket."  
  
"What?! You gotta be kidding! What about your classes?"  
  
"So I'll miss a week of school. Not like I can't make up for it. Besides, if you're going to pursue some nut that thinks vampires are real, I want to tag along. That, and I've always wanted to travel." Then her face grew serious. "But why couldn't you let the police handle it?"  
  
Then a voice came up from behind her. "It is because the law is incapable of doing anything right." Everyone turned to see who it was.  
  
"Oh. Kim, this is Renon. He'll be taking me to Romania."  
  
"Hi, Renon." Kim said with a slight blush. "If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could take me along with you? I can pay for my own ticket, and buy you guys' food and transportation."  
  
Renon slightly chuckled. "Very amusing. You must be bored with your normal life, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, very."  
  
"I see. I do not see why not. After all, Rachael will need all the help she can get. She can't fight, so she'll have to rely on her wits to survive."  
  
Kim laughed at this. "Oh yeah. I forgot. You're gonna fight 'vampires.'"  
  
"I see that sarcasm is strong in you. This should be amusing." Then he turned to Rachael. "Now get your sleep. Dawn is in six hours." Then he vanished.  
  
Kim clapped her hands. "Cool! Your friend knows the neatest tricks!"  
  
Nobody else said a word, though. After talking for a few more minutes, everyone went to bed.  
  
Morning  
  
Rachael and Kim were awakened by a knock on their door. They quickly got dressed, brushed their hair, and went out to greet Renon, who was looking at his watch impatiently.  
  
"We are behind schedule." He said sternly. "You were supposed to be ready at dawn."  
  
Just then, Rachael's mom yelled from the kitchen.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!"  
  
The girls ran towards the kitchen to eat. Renon shook his head.  
  
"Humans these days have such a lack of commitment."  
  
After eating breakfast, they went back to Renon, who was having some tea while watching TV.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked.  
  
"Just a moment." Answered Kim. "I forgot my money at my house. Can we stop by real quick and get it?"  
  
Renon just snapped his fingers, and her money, along with her credit card, appeared in her hands. Kim put them in her pockets.  
  
"Wow! What a neat trick! How did you do that?"  
  
"I'm a demon. It's practically a parlor trick to me."  
  
She looked at him quizzically. "A demon..." Then she laughed. "Good one! Almost had me there!"  
  
Renon looked at Rachael. "This quick errand goes on the bill."  
  
Finally, when everyone was ready, Renon teleported the two to Romania, in a hidden area around the provinces.  
  
End of chapter 1.  
  
Well, what do you think? I hope I did at least semi well. If anything confused you, don't worry. All will eventually be revealed. You can either review, or send all comments to  
  
Once again, thank you for reading. Please don't flame me. This is my first serious fic. Also, suggestions are welcome.


	2. The Quest Begins

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.  
  
Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The quest begins  
  
Romania provinces  
  
Rachael and Kim looked at their surroundings in awe. They were definitely in a Romanian province. The streets were actually made from cobblestones, but the buildings were made from concrete. Modern mom and pop stores flourished the streets, and each block had a row of street lights. However, there weren't many villagers out, which was good, since it would've been weird to see two people come out of nowhere. What they saw was definitely real, so any further skeptism about vampires and demons being real quickly withered away with the new surroundings. Rachael would've said something, but she was still trying to settle all this new experience into her mind. It just happened so suddenly, so she was still trying to adjust to it. Fortunately, her instincts proved to be most useful in handling her.

After a while of silence, Kim decided to speak up to get things moving.  
  
"Well, I guess we better adjust our watches, seeing as how we've traveled to a new time zone."  
  
"I agree. But first we should find a hotel or something. This pre-dusk silence is giving me the creeps."  
  
"Hey, I know! Why don't we just ask---huh? Where did he go?"  
  
Rachael turned around as well, and seen that Renon was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was the contract Rachael's grandfather signed, which she promptly picked up, and put in her backpack.  
  
"How did he do that?" Kim asked.  
  
"Obviously through supernatural abilities." Rachael answered, slowly becoming superstitious. Then she looked around. "Now where can we find a hotel?"  
  
After a while of searching and asking around, they realized two things that would be a hindrance. They were lost, and none of the villagers spoke English. Although Renon gave them a map, none of them mentioned that they couldn't read one. Suddenly, the sun was fully set, and the town clock struck the coming hour, causing the villagers to hurry in their homes. Kim quickly ran up to one of them and asked what was going on. Unfortunately, that villager couldn't speak English as well.  
  
"This doesn't look good." Rachael muttered while glancing around the now extremely quiet village. "Come on, let's move faster."  
  
So the two hurried along, all the while trying to learn how to read the map, which was a bit difficult to do with only the street lights for support. As they were walking, they heard a groan in the alley. They stood there, wondering if they should check it out. Finally, instinct took over, and they ran. Suddenly, more and more groans were heard. Rachael turned around to see a bunch of undead looking people walking towards them. The two stopped running, for what they seen behind them, also appeared in front of them, and to their sides.  
  
"Of all the times for grandpa to be wrong about supernatural creatures, why not now?!"  
  
Rachael quickly took out her whip. A sudden surge of energy entered her body, causing her to gasp in surprise. She knew that the whip was made from alchemy, but she didn't think that the power could be felt so strongly.  
  
So, without thinking, she quickly struck a zombie with it. Strangely, the whip not only killed it, but disintegrated it as well. She then stood there in surprise.  
  
"So it 'is' an enchanted weapon..." She said to herself. Actually, it wasn't just that, but her Belmont bloodline. The whip just provided for faster results.  
  
Kim looked at her, and then punched her shoulder. "Hey! Don't just stand there! Get us outta this!"  
  
"(Easier said than done)!" She thought to herself. She barely knew how to use a whip, and what little she 'did' know, she saw on tv. So she closed her eyes, and blindly whipped in many angles. Kim quickly took refuge the minute there was an open path from the zombies. She wasn't about to accidentally get hit by her amateur friend!  
  
Meanwhile, Rachael was running away while using her whip against the now lunging zombies. Eventually, she found some boxes to climb on, which led to the roof of a building. She motioned for Kim to rush over there, which she did in a much faster speed than Rachael.  
  
After Kim was safely on the roof, she kicked the boxes over as the zombies were trying to climb them. The two females looked down in shock, their hearts beating very quickly.  
  
"How many of them 'are' there?" Rachael asked.  
  
"About twenty or so." Kim answered, actually keeping count.

Rachael looked at her friend in a surprised manner. "How can you be so calm after seeing all of this?"

Kim shrugged. "I dunno. It just feels so exciting for some reason. Maybe my mom was right about having an affinity for the darkness."  
  
Rachael just shook her head. "Never mind that for now! How are we gonna get past these things?!"  
  
"Hey, I know! Why don't we ask Renon for help? I'm sure he can provide us with the essential tools needed for these freaks." Kim felt that they should use Renons help whenever possible if they were ever going to make it in and out of the castle alive.  
  
Before Rachael could respond, the zombies were already trying to climb the building from many angles. This shocked the girls. They had never see zombies do that in any of the horror movies they watched.  
  
"Th-they can do that?! Grandpa never mentioned anything about that!"  
  
So she quickly used the contract to summon Renon. The contract unfolded, a briefcase appeared, opened, and successfully summoned the demon.  
  
"Hello, girls. How might I be of service?"  
  
"By giving us something to use." Kim answered quickly as she was trying to keep the zombies from successfully climbing the roof by kicking them in the heads. "And anytime soon would be nice!"  
  
Renon looked at the zombies, and then at Rachael.  
  
"As you know, this will cost you."  
  
"She doesn't care, don't you, Rachael?!"  
  
As if snapping back to reality, she quickly shook her head. "How much?"  
  
"About 500 gold per item. 1000 for big items."  
  
"Gold?"  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry to say so, but that is hells currency. We can settle the payment matter when the time comes. Now, how may I help you?"  
  
Rachael quickly looked in the briefcase for something useful. She was also surprised at how deep she was able to reach for stuff. If this salesman weren't a demon, she would've been asking logical questions. After searching, she found a revolver, and picked it up.  
  
"I think Kim can use this. Now all it needs are bullets."  
  
"Already taken care of. Since the items in here are spiritual, they needn't any ammo."  
  
So Rachael quickly handed the gun to Kim, who wasted no time in using it. She was making headshots to every zombie that tried to climb up. Meanwhile, Rachael was looking for something else that could be of use. She found an old looking bottle, filled with a strange liquid.  
  
"That is holy water. Like with the revolver, you needn't worry about it running out. However, you mustn't throw the glass itself, lest you destroy it completely."  
  
So she took it. "Thank you, Renon. Thank you for helping us."  
  
"Anything for a client, as well as a friend. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going now." So he tipped his hat, and vanished.  
  
Rachael put the contract back in her backpack, and was using the whip and holy water to keep the zombies at bay. Eventually, all of the zombies were destroyed. Exhausted, the two collapsed. They were tired, and sleep had overtaken them.  
  
However, minutes later, the two were awakened by a loud howl. They quickly rose to their feet, only to nearly fall at the sight they saw.  
  
"A werewolf?!" Exclaimed Rachael.  
  
"But I thought they weren't real?"  
  
"Well, neither were zombies, but its happening!"  
  
The werewolf looked around, sniffing the air. Suddenly, it turned right towards them, making the girls nearly jump out of their skin. This creature was very broad in width and height, had razor sharp teeth that seemed to have a blood coating on them, a red mane of hair, and glowing red eyes. It howled at them, and took a giant leap from right where it was standing, all the way to the roof that the girls inhabited.  
  
It growled at them, and howled a blood curdling roar, literally giving the girls chills.  
  
"W-well, Rachael? W-hat do w-we d-d-do now?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure. We can't outrun it, and I'm too scared to think of something. So, until then..." Then she sprinkled some holy water on it, causing it to howl in pain, and temporarily stunning it. "RUN!!"  
  
So they slid down the roof from a pipe, and took a mad dash towards the forest. They saw more zombies along the way, but were just running around them, only caring to run from the wolf creature. Unfortunately, Rachael turned around to see that the werewolf had just torn through the zombies, and running towards them at blinding speed. The two quickly stopped, and it jumped right in front of them.  
  
Trying to catch their breath, they tried to talk to the wolf creature, but to no avail. Wasting no more time, it lunged at Rachael, pushing her to the ground. She could smell the heat of its breath as it was sniffing around her face. Then it growled again, and raised a claw towards her face, ready to lunge and attack.  
  
Fortunately, Kim had finally snapped out of her shock, and had shot it in the head several times, causing it to quickly retreat. However, that retreat only lasted a few seconds, as it was now healed, and ready to strike its 'new' target.  
  
Rachael quickly got up, her knees still shaking from what just happened, and quickly whipped its back just seconds before it could slice Kim. There was a glowing burn mark in its back as it was howling in pain. It turned towards her, and charged.  
  
Rachael had never been more afraid in her entire life. She had seen on tv about how someone can turn into a werewolf if they're scratched or bitten by one. Suddenly, a bright flash of light pierced through the creature, causing it to stop in its tracks. A few more bright lights eventually reverted it into human form, losing consciousness in the process.  
  
Shocked at what just happened, and her body and mind telling her it was safe for now, she collapsed once again.  
  
Morning  
  
Rachael slowly woke up, and found herself in a tent. She walked outside, and saw that Kim was eating a bowl of rice, accompanied by a strange man in priests garments, and a woman, who was garbed in nothing but a blanket. She walked over to Kim's side.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, still a little tired from her sleep.  
  
"Well, you fainted, and this guy came and rescued us."  
  
The man extended a hand. "My name is Samuel, and this is my wife, Deborah. We're very sorry to have troubled you."  
  
Rachael shook his hand. "Trouble? What do you mean?"  
  
"You see, my dear Deborah has been cursed. One night went we were gathering firewood, a werewolf came out of nowhere. It tried to kill me, but Deborah pushed me out of the way, allowing 'her' to be attacked instead. I was able to kill the beast, but she was nearing death."  
  
"That's horrible." Rachael said sadly. "What happened?"  
  
"While she was dying, a man appeared before us. He was dressed very nice, although his attire resembled that of a sixteenth century nobleman. His skin was very pale, and he gave off a very uncomfortable energy pattern."  
  
"Who was he?"  
  
"Well, it was the Count, although at the time, we didn't know it. He had promised that if we served him, he would save my dear wife's life. Hearing this, I accepted. He miraculously healed her, and left, telling us to remember our words one day."  
  
This made Rachael quickly back away. Deborah quickly noticed this, and spoke up.  
  
"Wait! Don't fear what my husband is saying. We have no intention of turning you over to him. Had we known who he was back then, we would've preferred death."  
  
"But if that's true," Kim started, "Won't he surely kill you now?"  
  
"Perhaps." Deborah answered sadly. "But we cannot live with ourselves any longer for it. My own life alone has caused the deaths of many people. It seems that, although I lived, so did the effects of the werewolf curse. So in a way, I was serving him that whole time."  
  
"But we will no longer do such a thing!" Samuel said. "I saw how effective your weapon was, and quickly understood that it was the ancient Belmont whip! The ancient weapon made from alchemy! Please, tell me. What is your name?"  
  
"Rachael. Rachael Belmont."  
  
The spouses' eyes lit up with joy. "So it is true!" Deborah said in excitement. "The Belmont clan really 'does' exist!"  
  
"But, how did you know about 'those' stories?" Rachael asked. "I barely even knew about them from my grandpa."  
  
"Let's just say that we're not as young as we look."  
  
Rachael thought about their distress for a moment. It was sad how they could never enjoy life unless the curse was lifted. She then spoke out loud.  
  
"Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you direct us to Dracula's castle? We don't seem to have a good sense of direction." She then took out her map. "We have a map to get there, but we sucked at reading it."  
  
Deborah looked at the map, and then responded. "Yes, I can help you. However, we must travel quickly. At the light of the moon, I'll transform again, and I want to be sure that I'm as far away from you as possible."  
  
"Alright then. How fast can we get there?"  
  
"If we start after breakfast, then in a couple of hours."  
  
"Hmm. I guess I could use something to eat. I haven't eaten since last night, which was yesterday morning from the part of the globe I come from."  
  
So Deborah left to get dressed, while Samuel made some rice for Rachael to eat. After everyone had finished eating, they left for the castle.  
  
Much later  
  
When they finally reached the castle, there was a moat surrounding it. Kim looked around it.  
  
"So this is Castlevania, huh. How is it that people haven't found this place?"  
  
"None ever returns alive." Deborah answered.  
  
"Oh. So how do we get in?"  
  
"That's the easy part. The drawbridge opens at sunset. However, you'll have to move fast. It will close again ten minutes later." Then she took out a blue cross from her robe, and gave it to Rachael. "Here, take it. This is another ancient relic the last Belmont used. Just throw it like you would a boomerang."  
  
So Rachael accepted it, and put it in her backpack. "Thank you."  
  
"Well, I must be going now. It will be sunset in an hour."  
  
Just as she was about to leave, Rachael called out to her.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Have you, ever seen another Belmont around here? Perhaps one that said he was on a business trip?"  
  
Deborah sadly nodded her head. "Yes. He said he had some business at the castle. He failed to heed my warnings, and thus never returned. Why? Do you know him?"  
  
This made Rachael want to cry. So her father 'did' meet his end at the castle. Deborah comforted her.  
  
"It's okay. What happened?"  
  
"Well, he was my father. I had hoped that he was alive, but now it is not so. I just hope that my brother is still alive." Then she started to cry.  
  
Kim also comforted her. "Its okay, Rachael. We'll save him before anything 'can' happen!"  
  
Deborah stood up, and looked at the setting sun. "I've stayed around far too long. I must go now." Then she left as quickly as her legs could carry her.  
  
1 hour later  
  
It was now dark, and the castle bridge had just now lowered.  
  
"Quickly!" Exclaimed Rachael. "Before we lose our chance!"  
  
So the two quickly ran inside the castle as fast as their legs could carry them. Finally, they made it inside. Panting for breath, they sat down. However, while they were catching their breath, they saw another figure rush inside the bridge just as it was closing. When it stopped, Rachael and Kim gaped at the features.  
  
He was a slender man with very pale skin. He had on elegant clothes that looked like a sixteenth century nobleman, with long blond hair, and a slightly feminine face.  
  
"Dracula!" Shouted Rachael as she readied her whip. "Give me back my brother, now!"  
  
The man looked at her strangely. "Dracula? Are you referring to the lord of this castle?"  
  
"Y-yes. You mean you're not him?"  
  
"No. I have come here to put an end to him once again. I suggest that you leave."  
  
"No! Not until I've rescued my brother!"  
  
"If you insist."  
  
Kim quickly spoke up. "What's your name?"  
  
"....Alucard."  
  
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Riiighht. A dyslexic Dracula, right?" Then she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, at least you're handsome."  
  
Alucard didn't say a word. Suddenly, another figure quickly entered the castle via parachute. When he landed, he looked at everyone.  
  
The man was also of slender build, only he had tanned skin, green eyes, semi long black hair, and wore a black trench coat, complete with black pants, shoes, and shirt. He also wore a rather large backpack.  
  
"So, I take it all of you are on this expedition of monster/treasure hunting too, am I right?"  
  
Alucard didn't say anything, but had a 'couldn't care less' look on his face. Rachael had a slight blush on her cheeks, but also didn't say a word. Kim just smiled, and then decided to speak.  
  
"Glad to see there's another handsome guy in our ranks."  
  
"I can say the same thing myself, except I'll replace 'guy' with 'girl', if you don't mind." The guy said. "By the way, the names Nathan, but you can call me Nate."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Nate. I'm Kim. This is Rachael, my best friend. And the gloomy, yet also handsome guy over there is called Alucard. We don't know anything about him, since he just came here seconds after we did."  
  
"Ah. Nice to meet you." Then he turned over to Rachael. "So, Rachael, is it? I hope to meet you again soon. Stay human until then." After that, he left deep into the castle.  
  
When Kim turned around, she saw that Alucard was already gone as well. She just shrugged and approached Rachael, who was still blushing. She chuckled, and punched her on the shoulder, snapping her back to reality.  
  
"Are you going to be doing this to 'every' really cute guy that comes across us?"  
  
"N-no! Of course not! Besides, the next creatures we come across from now on will most likely be undead."  
  
"Yeah. I know what you mean. Enjoy the view while it lasts, right?"  
  
"Yeah...uh, I mean no!" Then she shook her head. "Now's not the time for teasing! We have to find my brother!"  
  
So she quickly left, leaving a sprinting Kim to catch up with her.  
  
End of chapter 2.  
  
Well, I hope you're enjoying it so far. Please let me know if someone is reading this. My email address is 


	3. Deep within the Castle

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.  
  
Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Deep within the castle  
  
Dracula's Castle: Evening  
  
Rachael and Kim were wandering around the quiet hallway of the castle. They were wondering why it was so empty. Rachael grandfather has always told of the castle being infested with demons.  
  
"I wonder where everything is?" Rachael asked aloud. "Not that I'm complaining."  
  
"Probably behind those doors." Kim answered, pointing to the multitude of doors that was set before them, all in rows, each to their left and right sides, eight to be exact, complete with a huge door all the way to the end of the hallway. Each door had a faint marking of some sort. Most likely a label to where each one lead, but the writing on it was quite illegible. "So is this the way the castle is supposed to be built?"  
  
"No. I remember grandpa telling me that the castle always changes in appearance."  
  
"Huh? Why?"  
  
"Probably to confuse travelers. He said that Leon Belmont, the first Belmont to explore this place, written that this is like a game to Walter, the previous owner of this castle. Sort of like cat and mouse."  
  
"Ah, I see. Still, that's pretty sadistic."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but that's not important right now. We need to find the correct door to my brother."  
  
After a few seconds of thinking, Kim responded. "Hey, I know! We should ask Renon for help! After all, 'we're' not the ones paying the tab!"  
  
"Yes, I guess we should."  
  
So she took out the contract, and summoned Renon, who promptly appeared.  
  
"Yes. How may I help you?"  
  
"Renon," Rachael started, "there are a lot of doors, but we don't know which ones lead to where. Can you help us out?"  
  
"I'll see what I can do." Answered Renon.  
  
First, he looked at every door, and finally stopped at the big door. He noticed strange keyholes on the door., each with a strange design built around each hole. The first keyhole had a vertical shape that resembled a rib bone. The second one had a circular shape that resembled a heart. Not the kinds of hearts one would see on Valentines day, but the kind of heart found in the human body. The third resembled a vampires tooth. Finally, the last keyhole resembled a fine piece of jewelry, a ring to be precise. It wasn't a fancy ring, but a plain ring. At least, that's what it looked like if it were placed horizontally. After figuring out what the keys might look like, he approached the two females.  
  
"Ah, now I see. Apparently, there are four keys in the shape of a rib, a heart, a fang, and a ring. At least that is what I'm assuming. Find those keys, and you'll find the way to the Count."  
  
This statement kind of shocked Rachael. Her only intention was to rescue her brother. She didn't even want to get involved in any of this. "But wait a minute! I just want to save my brother! I don't want to fight anyone!"  
  
"That's a good idea." Kim added. "No use in fighting unnecessary battles." She was starting to regret tagging along with her friend. Boredom convinced her to come along, but this was a bit much.  
  
"I understand." Renon said. "However, you needn't worry too much about that. Your brother is held in the catacombs of this place." Then he reached into his briefcase, and pulled out a map. "Here, use this. You'll be able to find your way around the castle. I have also made it easier to comprehend, since the last map I gave you failed to be of use." Then he took out an electronic device. It looked sort of like a cross between a miniature television and a radio, complete with a metal coating, and a red light that blinked every few seconds. "Also, this might come in handy. Anytime you get lost, just activate it by pressing the green button in front of it, and you will be teleported back to this hallway."  
  
"So, how much will all of this assistance cost Rachael's grandpa?" Kim asked.  
  
"Quite a lot, I assure you." He answered. "Still, it is nothing that he cannot pay back." Then he turned to Rachael. "Good luck, friend."  
  
"Thank you, friend." Answered Rachael.  
  
Then he tipped his hat, and vanished. Rachael picked up the contract, and put it back in her backpack. She then looked at the map, which was surprisingly much easier to read.  
  
"Hmm...According to this, the first door to our left leads to the dungeon, which is right next to the catacombs."  
  
So they went to that door. As they were about to enter, the fourth door to their right suddenly burst open. To their surprise, it was Nate, who quickly shut the door behind them. The panic in him was obvious by the look of his face. He breathed heavily as he held the door shut behind him. When he calmed down, he then looked at the girls, and laughed nervously.  
  
"Oh, hello girls."  
  
"H-hello Nate." Said Rachael, her face flushed once again. "What just happened?"  
  
"Well, this door led to the gardens. While I was exploring it, some big muscular freak with a chainsaw sees me, and starts to chase after me! I was doing an alright job holding him off, but then these two mechanical dogs just come outta nowhere! Seeing as how no damage was being done to them, I took off like a bat outta hell! I suggest you two gals do the same!"  
  
Then he looked at the door again, as if he were expecting the creature to burst out of there any second. "Still, he had something of value around his neck. I think it was one of those keys I need in order to get into that large door."  
  
Realizing what was going through his mind, Rachael quickly spoke up.  
  
"Wait! Why are you even bothering?!"  
  
Kim looked at her in bewilderment. She knew from her first reaction that Rachael had a thing for him, but she wondered why should she try to talk him out of doing this? If he were able to successfully get those keys, 'he' could take care of the Count for them. However, she decided to keep quiet about this.  
  
Nate scratched his head, a bit stumped at her question. He never really thought as to why he was doing this. Sure, there were rumors about the castle having many hordes of treasures just waiting to be grabbed, but was exploring the throne room 'really' worth the battle? After noticing that he was taking too long to answer, he ended his train of thought.  
  
"Well, I never really thought about it. Just the thrill of the treasure hunt, I guess."  
  
Rachael raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Treasure? That's what you're risking your life for?!"  
  
"Well, yeah. It's pretty much my job, you know."  
  
"I can't believe you would actually risk your life for wealth!"  
  
"Why not?" Kim suddenly intervened. The thought of being rich beyond her dreams seemed strangely fascinating. "After all, isn't that how most treasure hunters in movies have all these great adventures?" She thought it best to use the term 'adventure', as not to add fuel to the fire.  
  
This statement suddenly made Rachael remember what she said on the net about wishing for adventure. Her stare suddenly became vacant, and she turned around, muttering.  
  
"So this is why this happened. I'm having my wish granted."  
  
Nate looked at her with concern.  
  
"You okay?" he asked.  
  
Rachael didn't say a word. She was still shocked that something like this could actually happen in such a short time. Kim, seeing as how Rachael was unable to speak at the moment, decided to speak for her.  
  
"She'll be alright. It's just that so much has happened in so little time."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
"Um, Nate?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"After I help Rachael rescue her brother, would it be alright if I help you? Treasure hunting sounds pretty fun."  
  
"Well, if you're up to it. But you need to hold your ground, though." Then he sighed, finally ready to go back in the garden. "Well, wish me luck." And with that, he re-entered the garden.  
  
Kim was a bit excited about actually going on a treasure hunt. Even though the monsters were a threat, an adventurer like Nate would be able to keep her safe.  
  
Seconds later, Rachael was calm again. Her determination to rescue her brother brought her back from the state of shock.  
  
"Well, let's go." She said.  
  
Kim smiled. "Finally back, eh?"  
  
Rachael smiled. "Yeah. All I needed was time to think."  
  
So the two went to the door, opened it, peeked around to make sure the coast was clear, and then entered, shutting it behind them.  
  
Dungeon  
  
It was just as they imagined it to be. It was dark, dirty, and full of dust. The floors and walls were made of stone, each one cracked with age. In the crevices of the stone, were piles of dust, and parts of the floor and wall were covered in dried blood stains. The area itself was pretty dim, with lowly lit lights keeping things from shrouding in complete darkness.  
  
"(Well, at least he keeps up with the times.)" Kim thought, seeing as how there was electricity in an ancient castle.  
  
What was even stranger was the rows of coffins leaning against the walls. These might've been homes for vampires, but it wasn't even guarded. Perhaps they were just tombs for the servants?  
  
After taking a few steps, skeletons emerged from the coffins, and started attacking them. Rachael quickly tried to find a way around them, but to no avail. They were pretty much surrounded. Kim tried to shoot them with her gun, but it had no effect. She had trouble making any decent shots on creatures that were full of holes.  
  
"I think you gotta use your whip this time!" said Kim. "And this time, try 'not' randomly swinging it everywhere!"  
  
So she took a deep breath, and exhaled. She slashed the whip at some, which disintegrated them upon impact. Kim was shooting incoming bats that were trying to dive bomb them. She wasn't sure as to where they were coming from, but they were a problem nonetheless.  
  
After a path was cleared, they ran away as fast as they could. Eventually, they reached a door. Judging by the map, it led to the catacombs. However, a large axe wielding knight was guarding the entrance. It had golden armor, each with fine details of ridges that supported its body. The armor also seemed to shine with the dim lights. It wielded a double bladed axe, but was definitely not golden. In another hand, it held a large shield which was able to protect its upper appendages. It might've looked human, if not for the fact that it was almost ten feet tall. It saw them, and walked towards them, readying its axe.  
  
Rachael looked behind them, and saw that more skeletons were approaching them.  
  
"What do we do now?!" exclaimed Kim. "This wasn't how I pictured dying!"  
  
Thinking fast, Rachael took out her holy water, and splashed it on the skeletons, burning them into ashes. She quickly turned around, just in time to dodge an attack by the axe knight. They could feel the swift breeze that swooshed with the axe's swing. Rachael tried whipping it, but it kept blocking her attacks with its shield. Kim tried to shoot it, but its armor protected it from damage. They backed away as they did so, taking out more skeletons in the process. Eventually, they were backed into a corner.  
  
When it got close enough, it swung its axe, barely missing the girls by inches. By now, more skeletons have re-appeared, and were now circling the two.  
  
Trying her last option, she splashed some more holy water on the axe knight, which seemed to do some damage. However, most of the attack was blocked by its shield.  
  
"(Now what)?!" She thought to herself.  
  
Garden  
  
Nate was hopping over bushes and shrubs, trying to get away from the chainsaw maniac and his robotic dogs, which just cut through them with ease. The garden was practically a labyrinth, with the shrubbery providing as a proverbial wall. While he was running, he bumped into a corner. He quickly turned around to see that he was trapped. So he then tried to throw holy water at it. It stunned the creature, but did nothing to the dogs, which were his biggest problem at the moment. He tried shooting them using his twin pistols, but they were too fast, as they dodged each bullet with ease.  
  
"This is really bad." Nate said to himself. "I tried everything I have except for my lighter!"  
  
However, now the dogs have cornered him again, and were now trying to bite him. One of them tried to pounce on him, but it was met with a shot from his shotgun. Unfortunately, it only succeeded in making a hole in it. The other one tried to bite his leg, but he quickly got out of its way. To make things worse, the creature was now mobile again, and restarted its chainsaw. The two mechanical dogs pounced on him at the same time, knocking him on the ground. The only thing that kept him from getting bit was his shotgun, which he used as a divider between them. As the creature was about to slice him up, he quickly managed to hide himself from the blade by putting his head under the dogs neck. He was also praying that he wouldn't get bit in the process. To Nates surprise, not only didn't he get bit, but the creature ended up cutting the mechanical dogs in half by mistake, and was now trying to restart his chainsaw.  
  
"Thank God for this sudden burst of luck...and faulty mechanics!" he exclaimed as he knocked the dog pieces off and grabbed the key from around its neck, and ran off in a hurry. He had managed to get back into the main hallway and shut the door just seconds before the creature had restarted his chainsaw. He was a faster runner than he thought, especially during times of fear.  
  
Nate approached the giant door, and inserted the key into place. It made a clicking sound. "Well, one down, and three more to go." After admiring his success for a few seconds, he began to worry about the girls. After all, they were new to the adventurous world. Perhaps they needed a bit of assistance from a veteran. "Let me go see what the girls are up to." He took a guess, and chose the door that the girls entered.  
  
Dungeon  
  
Minutes after entering, he already noticed that it was unusually empty, except for the monster roars and girlish screams in the distance.  
  
"Wait a minute! Girlish screams?!" He then realized that it was no coincidence, and rushed over to where Rachael and Kim were.  
  
The two were trying to hold off the numerous skeletons, while doing what they could to dodge the axe knight. While shooting a few bats down, he quickly made his way through the crowd.  
  
"Nate?!" Exclaimed Kim. "Boy, are we glad to see you!"  
  
"I couldn't be happier myself." Nate said, once again readying his weapons. "This big fella bothering you two?"  
  
Rachael didn't answer. She was too busy trying to whip at the axe knight, who only kept blocking her attacks.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." So he reached in his backpack, and pulled out a bomb. He also mentally slapped himself for just now remembering he had these. "This'll do the trick." So he quickly maneuvered around the axe knight, while Rachael distracted it, and strapped it on its back. Two seconds later, he was knocked far away by its iron fist. However, within seconds, it exploded, leaving pieces of armor scattered across the room. The impact also destroyed the skeletons, who of course, lacking flesh, broke apart when hitting the wall. Rachael, Kim, and Nate had just gotten out of the way in time.  
  
"It's a good thing I came around when I did." Said Nate.  
  
Rachael smiled. "Yes, you did. Thank you so much for helping us."  
  
Nate laughed a little. "Aw, just doing my job." Then he looked at his watch. "Cripes! I'm behind schedule! I better find the rest of those keys quickly!"  
  
Just as he was about to leave, he turned back around. "If you ever see any keys to that big door, just keep it for me. That way, I can use it." Then he left.  
  
"What a strange person." Said Kim.  
  
"Yes. Strange, but a very nice person..." she didn't realize her cheeks were slightly colored. Kim just motioned for them to continue. For the sooner they found her brother, the sooner they could leave.  
  
So the two entered the catacombs.  
  
Meanwhile: Cathedral  
  
Alucard had been searching throughout the Cathedral, destroying monsters as he traveled. He wasn't about to let his fathers evil reign of terror continue. Upon searching, he found a young woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties. She had raven black hair, extremely pale skin, and a sky blue dress that represented a 16th century woman of nobility. She was praying in front of a cross. Not wanting to interrupt her just yet, he decided to listen to what she was saying.  
  
"Forgive me, for I have sinned. I gave into my vampiric urges, and took another innocent life. I wish to leave this castle, but here is where I can do the least harm to civilians. I didn't ask to be a vampire. I just wish to live a normal human life. A life I used to live many, many years ago. It is only by your blessing that I have been able to retain what little humanity I have left. Please, grant me relief! If I cannot live again as a human, I do not wish to live at all!" Then she heard the sound of breathing, and stood up. "Who are you?" She turned around. Her eyes were a faded blue, and had smooth features, a pretty face, and a well developed chest. Her ravishing looks were to be expected of a vampire.  
  
Alucard didn't answer.  
  
"Are you a hunter?"  
  
"Sort of. I'm here to find my father, and destroy him."  
  
"Your father? Forgive me if I sound foolish, but who is your father?"  
  
Alucard didn't answer her question. "You are a vampire, yet you pray by a cross unaffected and full of sorrow. How is that possible?"  
  
She then put her head down, recollecting her past memories, and feeling even more sorrow for doing so. "I am cursed by the Count. He found my gift in making medicines to be very useful, and abducted me from my parents countless years ago. He turned me into a vampire so that I can make potions for him for eternity. I pray every night in order to keep my humanity. If not for that, I would be a heartless creature, just like the rest of the castles inhabitants."  
  
"....I see."  
  
"This is why I am not affected by any of the creatures in the castle."  
  
"Tell me. Have you seen any keys leading to the throne room?"  
  
"Yes. I have one of them, and I will give it to you under one condition."  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
"I want you to kill me."  
  
Alucard shook his head. "Death is not the answer to your dilemma. I share a very similar problem, yet I am burdened to deal with it for all eternity."  
  
This surprised her. "Really. What is your name?"  
  
"Alucard."  
  
"The son of whom the Count speaks of? I knew you looked familiar."  
  
Once again, he didn't respond.  
  
"My name is Cecilia."  
  
"I feel sympathetic for your burden. However, I need the key."  
  
"You already know the condition. Besides, if I gave it to you without a fight, the Count may rob me of whatever humanity I have left. So I say again! If you want the key, then kill me!"  
  
Alucard unsheathed his sword. "I still do not wish to do this, but you leave me no choice."  
  
A glint of hope sparkled in Cecilia's eyes as she readied herself for combat. She leapt into the air with blinding speed. She fired bursts of energy down on Alucard, who blocked them with his shield. He jumped towards her, and swung his sword, nearly missing her. They both landed.  
  
Cecilia frowned. "You're not giving it everything you have! Grant me relief from this hell!"  
  
She pulled out a dagger, and lunged at him, successfully stabbing him in the gut. The trickle of blood that trailed down the blade excited her vampire instincts, as she was now trying to claw him, which he responded to with blocking and counterattacking. Alucard swung at her, sending her flying across the room. She then looked at the scar that the sword had made. She also looked at the dagger she was still holding. It resonated with new blood, which made her vampire urges even more tempting. She licked her lips, wanting to taste the crimson colored liquid.  
  
Quickly regaining her self control, she threw away the blade, and flew up into the air again. This time, Alucard met her with another strike from his sword, knocking her back on the ground.  
  
Cecilia got up, and then let her wounds heal. She then hissed at Alucard. "You're still holding back!" Then she disappeared, and re-appeared directly on the side of Alucard, kicking him against a statue. "Kill me before I kill you!"  
  
Alucard knew that all he needed for a quick victory was to decapitate her. However, there was a strong part of her that was still human. And since it existed, he couldn't bring himself to kill her. He wasn't about to kill anything but vampires and demons, at least, not unless he really had to.  
  
His train of thought was interrupted by a barrage of blasts that hit him. He quickly got up, and charged at her with blinding speed, holding up his shield in the process. Cecilia tried to shoot him down, but the shield blocked the attacks. She laughed until she was hit by the shield, knocking her out cold.  
  
Alucard looked down at her. "I am sorry, but I cannot kill you." Then he took the key from within her pocket. "Before I leave this castle, I will come back for you, if possible. Perhaps I will find a way for you to curb your urges."  
  
Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke covered the area. When the smoke cleared, a very familiar skeletal creature stood in front of the unconscious vampire. He had on a very dark robe, and held a very large scythe.  
  
"So we meet again, Alucard." Death said. "We really weren't expecting you to arrive. We had our plans set on the Belmont female."  
  
"Tell father that I will stop his plans, no matter what!"  
  
Death looked at him in frustration. "Why is it that you befriend humans and get in the way of our master? Our victory is inevitable. Almost all of the Belmont descendants have stopped believing in demons. They are slowly forgetting their roots, thus allowing the darkness to slowly invade. This specific Belmont still had a descendant who believed in the old ways. We will deal with him eventually. However, he has planted seeds in the minds of his grandchildren, thus needing to be eliminated."  
  
"Are you done talking?! Get out of my way or I shall defeat you again!"  
  
Death laughed evilly. "Still as foolish as ever, I see. Your will meet your doom. However, now is not the time. I will have some fun with you before I kill you." Then he picked up Cecilia. "She shall be ready for you the next time you see her. Although the master wishes her alive, she'll prove most useful when killing you."  
  
"Your battle is with me! Now fight me!"  
  
"You'll get your chance, Alucard. You'll get your chance." Then he laughed again, and vanished.  
  
Alucard looked at the key, knowing that he still had quite a ways to go.  
  
Meanwhile: Catacombs  
  
The Catacombs were a very dark and eerie place. Unlike the dungeon, this place had no light. They couldn't even see their hands in front of their faces. a faint moan was also heard in the darkness, which creeped them out even further. After a while of exploring, and sometimes bumping into things, there was a light in the distance. Rachael quickly followed it. However, the light was being controlled by this short looking man that looked like the keeper of the place. When she approached the old man, she quickly talked to him. Although the darkness was so strong, she could only see his face and his dirt brown over-coat.  
  
"Um, excuse me?" Rachael asked. "But, do you know where a human is being kept?"  
  
The decrepit old man chuckled as he circled her. "You are wishing to know where we keep captive humans?"  
  
"Y-yes." The taunting movements he was making was really making her uncomfortable.  
  
"Ah, yes. A small boy you are looking for, yes?"  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"And you came alone? You are a brave girl."  
  
"Alone? What are you-"She quickly turned around to see that Kim wasn't there. "Kim?! Kim!!"  
  
"Ah, so you lost a friend now, that you did." The old man was waving his lantern around now. "Separated in the darkness, is that right?"  
  
"Please! Can you direct me to my brother? I need to find Kim, quickly!" She quickly shut her mouth at what she just said.  
  
"Ah, so you 'are' human, that you are. Humans are usually food for the master. Humans are usually food for the monsters. Humans are usually food for me! What is a human doing out of its cage?"  
  
Rachael was getting more and more nervous as the old mans circling and lantern waving became faster and faster. "Please, help me! I just want to know where he is!"  
  
"You give me your name, and I give you the location."  
  
"R-Rachael B-Belmont."  
  
The creature automatically stopped his movements. "Eh?! Belmont you say?! Belmont's are bad for the monsters health! Belmont's are bad for the masters well being!" Then he faced her eye to eye. "Your brother is in the next room. However, let us see if you make it to him in one piece."  
  
Suddenly, the lights all shut on, and Rachael found herself surrounded by Axe knights, Sword knights, and Spear knights. Gremlins were also everywhere while holding fire sticks, watching the blood fest that was about to occur. Rachael readied her whip and holy water. The old man just laughed at this.  
  
"Are you really that confident? Then this should be a sight to behold!" Then he turned towards the monsters. "Kill her!"  
  
The sword knights, axe knights, and spear knights all charged her at once. Rachael ran in between their legs, and made a mad dash toward the next room. The knights quickly followed. Just as she was about to open the door, one of the axe knights threw its weapon at her. She dodged it, but it sliced the side of her leg. She then screamed. She had never felt pain like this before.  
  
Just as the spear knight was about to throw its spear, she quickly went inside the door, and shut it. She limped towards nearby barrels, and was rolling them in front of the door to block the way in. Suddenly, the old man spoke through the door.  
  
"You can't hide in there forever! We'll break this door down if we have to! But first, say hello to the dungeon guard in there! I'm sure he'll be very happy to see some fresh meat!" Then he laughed some more.  
  
That was when she heard the biggest growl of her life. In fact, it sounded like three growls. She turned around, and nearly screamed at what she saw. It was a three headed dog, about twice her size, and it looked like it was ready to kill.  
  
She tried to reach for her whip, but it barked, causing her to hesitate. After a few seconds, it lunged towards her. She quickly threw some holy water at it, causing it to yelp in pain.  
  
While it was recovering, she quickly pulled out the contract, and summoned Renon, who appeared.  
  
Renon looked at the hellhound, and then back at Rachael. "I told you. I am not allowed to interfere as far as fighting your battles for you."  
  
"I know, but I need some kind of weapon that'll help me against big creatures like those knights and...that thing!"  
  
The creature just now recovered, and was ready to lunge at her again.  
  
"Quick!" She yelled as she was now trying to hold it back with her whip.  
  
Renon looked through his briefcase, and pulled out a crystal. He walked past the three headed beast, and put it in her pocket.  
  
"It is an enchanted crystal. Just throw it at an enemy to generate a bomb like explosion. You needn't worry about it running out, just as long as you keep it in your pocket."  
  
The creature now jumped at her, which she quickly deflected with her backpack. She was now on the floor, and her backpack was the only thing separating her from the jaws of all three mouths. She quickly threw holy water at it, causing it to jump back a few paces. "So, how do I use it?!"  
  
"Your combat skill is improving." Renon said with impression in his tone. "Anyways, to activate it, just think of it, and it should appear in your hand. Throw it afterwards."  
  
"Thanks." She said as she generated one. "Also, can you help me find Kim later?"  
  
"But of course. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going right now." So he tipped his hat, and vanished.  
  
The creature now recovered from the attack, and shot a blast at her, which hit her on impact.  
  
Feeling large amounts of pain throughout her body, she struggled to get up. The beast now lunged at her again. However, it was met with a large crystal form, which hit it on impact, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, pieces of flesh and bone were all around the room, including some on herself. She looked around, and saw her brother in a cell. She could tell it was him because, much like herself, he had blond hair. He was also short and had brown eyes. He was still wearing his flannel pajamas from when he was abducted.  
  
"Rachael? Is that you?" he asked.  
  
Tears of joy flowing in her eyes, she limped as quickly as she could towards the cage. She broke the lock using a small generated crystal. After that, her brother went and hugged her. She was in pain, but she was so happy to see him.  
  
"Rachael! Thank you for saving me!"  
  
"Of course, Phil. You didn't really think I was going to let you stay here."  
  
"Nope. Of course not!"  
  
"Good. Now let's get out of this castle."  
  
So they left the cell, and then the knights broke in. Rachael quickly generated a large crystal, and threw it at them, causing a great explosion. Her and her brother hid back in the cells. When the smoke cleared, more were trying to enter. She picked them off using her whip. And for the axe knights, she used the crystal. Finally, when all of the knights were destroyed, she limped towards the old man.  
  
"You're next!" she exclaimed. "After seeing my brother in that cell, and for hurting me like that, you really managed to piss me off!"  
  
The old man just laughed. "So, you think you're going to kill me? You Belmont's are quite the jesters, that you are. Fortunately, you'll never destroy the 'true' leader of the catacombs." Then he made a loud whistle. "Galamoth! Dinners ready!"  
  
Suddenly, tremors were now being felt from the floor. Rachael readied her whip, and Phillip quickly got behind her. Whatever this thing was, she had to get past it, with both her brother and herself intact. Hopefully, Kim was still alive, so that was also on her mind.  
  
End of chapter 3.  
  
Once again, my email address is  
  
I hope to hear from you all.


	4. Dangerous temptations

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.  
  
CastleVania: Sonnet of Legends  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Deadly temptations  
  
Catacombs  
  
Rachael wasn't sure what to do next. She was still injured from the battle against the knights, and was not in the best of shape at the moment to be fighting unknown forces. All that magnified with each shot of pain created from the cuts and bruises on her legs from the axe and the three headed beasts attacks. She was barely able to walk on her own. How much more was she able to protect her brother, who hid behind her, fearing what was about to happen.  
  
As the ground continued to quake with each approaching step, Rachael's heart beat faster and faster. All she could focus on was the quaking of the steps, the slight whimpering of her brother, and the vile laughter of the old man.  
  
Suddenly, the quakes stopped, and the whole room illuminated with an eerie white glow. Rachael looked upwards, and her eyes widened at the gigantic size of this creature. It had to be at least 30 feet tall, with drab green skin, and a light breastplate made of gold. It stood on two legs, and had arms like that of a man, only with claws of a beast.  
  
Looking upwards, she could see its face. It resembled a lizards. At least that's what she could make out over the golden face mask it was wearing. Asides from very sharp looking teeth, it had a single horn growing from its forehead, and little horns on the sides of its head, like a Styraccasaurous Think "Triceratops heads plate", only with slight spikes on the sides. She turned towards the weapon it was holding, which was responsible for the rooms glow. It appeared to be a scepter, but the tip was illuminating with bolts of electricity.  
  
"This, is Galamoth!" shouted the old man. "He is the ruler of these Catacombs! You two will make wondrous sacrifices for him!" Then he laughed, only with a much more sinister sound to it, like he was confident of their deaths.  
  
Galamoth made a roar that was loud enough to shake the Catacombs. It pointed the already charging scepter at the small humans. It then shot electricity at them. Rachael quickly used herself as a shield to protect her brother, letting the impact hit 'her' instead. She could feel the electricity flowing through her body. She wanted to scream in pain, but the shocks prevented her from doing so. After a few seconds, Galamoth pulled back his staff, allowing the young woman to finally collapse. She wasn't dead, but she was no longer able to defend herself against whatever attack Galamoth might've made.  
  
The giant lizard beast picked her practically lifeless body up from the ground. He examined his meal to be, for a bit, wondering if it was edible. Her brother was yelling at him, begging and pleading to let his sister go.  
  
Fortunately, the cries and pleads from her brother caused Rachael to awaken from her painful slumber. She then noticed the situation she was in. Galamoth noticed this, and quickly popped her in his mouth as if she was a pill. After that, he swallowed.  
  
However, he began to choke. She seemed to be stuck inside his esophagus, although she was using her whip to hold her ground, which was wrapped around one of his fangs. Wasting no opportunities, she quickly took out the cross that Deborah had given her, and slashed it across the beasts throat. Her ears were in pain as Galamoth was roaring. But she kept at it, and kept slashing and slashing. Finally, she looked down, and noticed strange fluids coming her way. Rachael gasped in horror at the realization of it.  
  
"( Oh no! Stomach acid!)"  
  
Suddenly, she heard Renons voice as if he were inside his head.  
  
"You are a Belmont! Use that weapon for protection!"  
  
"R-Renon? How are you doing this?"  
  
"Telepathy, but now is not the time for this! Hurry!"  
  
So with no further hesitation, she clutched the cross to her heart, and prayed.  
  
"God, if you can hear me, please let me use this weapon to its full potential."  
  
Then, the acids covered her, and caused her to fly out of Galamoths mouth, and back unto the surface around him. Her prayers were answered, for the cross was glowing, and a transparent barrier was surrounding her. The stomach acids just trailed to the ground, leaving her unharmed.  
  
This angered the old man very much. "Fool! You should've chewed her first, that you should've! Go! Finish the job!"  
  
Rachael quickly stood up. She could still feel a lot of pain, but that wouldn't stop her. Galamoth kicked her, but his foot caught on fire, due to the barrier still being up. It roared in great pain as the fire consumed his foot. After quickly putting it out, it shot electricity out of his scepter again, only this time, each blast was a giant electric ball. Each one hit the barrier until it finally disappeared. Galamoth grinned evilly at this, and shot a stream of electricity.  
  
However, Rachael jumped out of the way, crying out in pain as she did, for her legs and body were still injured. She quickly slashed her whip at the lizard beasts arm, making him drop the scepter. He cried out in pain as his arm had a huge open wound caused by the whip.  
  
"No! No it can't be!" cried out the old man. "The Belmont whip still has power?!" Then he turned to Galamoth. "Destroy her! Take this whole place down if you have to!"  
  
And that's exactly what he did. Instead of attacking Rachael, he destroyed every column that held the place together, rocks falling at every smash.  
  
Seeing this, Rachael's brother, Phillip, ran up to her.  
  
"Sis! We have to get out of here!"  
  
Rachael shook her head.  
  
"No! Not yet! Kim is still around here!"  
  
"But what about Galamoth?"  
  
"We have to find her first!"  
  
And with that said, she quickly slashed Galamoths leg with the whip, causing him to have her full attention. He turned towards her with rage in his eyes.  
  
"You!" she shouted. "We'll finish this now! Understand?!"  
  
Seeing that her barrier wasn't up, Galamoth just kicked her out of the way, and continued destroying the place. Phillip rushed over to her side.  
  
"Sis! He's not going to listen! We have to leave now!"  
  
"But Kim, she's-"  
  
"If we don't get out of here now, none of us will live!"  
  
A tear rolled across her cheek. He was right. If they were going to survive, they would have to leave immediately.  
  
"Kim...I'll never forget you.."  
  
She took out the device that Renon had given her earlier. She wished that she could summon him right now, but knowing what he said before, he wouldn't appear whenever there were demons around. More tears flowing from her eyes, she grabbed her brother by the hand, took a deep breath, and activated it. Within seconds, they were teleported to the main hallway.  
  
After they were gone, Galamoth stopped destroying the place. He grinned in satisfaction, knowing that he had just caused her great trauma. As the Catacombs were crumbling, the old man spoke some final words.  
  
"Master... Everything is as you said. May you shroud this world in eternal darkness."  
  
Main Hallway  
  
Phillip looked around in amazement. He wondered how such a technology even existed. It was just like in a science fiction movie, only with gothic type surroundings. He looked at Rachael, who was on her knees, softly crying. He thought it would be best to leave her alone at the moment, so he didn't say a word.  
  
The feeling of betrayal ate at her mind. Wasn't there another way? The same thoughts continued to torment her. Why did this have to happen?  
  
As she was feeling deep depression, Renon appeared before her.  
  
"Congratulations on rescuing your brother." He said, but then noticed her face, which was covered in sorrow and tears. "Do not feel sorrow for your best friend. She wouldn't want it that way. Besides, her death was not in vain, for you have rescued your brother, as you originally came to do."  
  
Rachael slowly and painfully got up. She faced Renon, and wiped away the tears, a glint of slight anger in her eyes.  
  
"Renon, please take Phillip home. I have some things to take care of."  
  
Renon nodded. "I see. So you plan to fight the Count."  
  
Rachael nodded. "I'll try, at least. He led me here, and leaving now will only lead to the capture, or worse, of those I care about."  
  
"But do you have a plan of some sort? You can't just survive by luck, you know."  
  
"Yes, I know. I don't need one, though." Then she slightly chuckled. "I'm not much of a tactician anyways. All I need now are these weapons, and Gods protection."  
  
Renon mentally cringed at the name, but nodded anyways. "Then may you have a safe journey. Remember to use the contract whenever necessary." Then he turned towards Phillip. "Come. It is time to go."  
  
Phillip shook his head. "I want to stay with sis!"  
  
Renon walked up to him, and whispered in his ear. "It was because of you, that she had to come here in the first place, thus losing her friend."  
  
It was a mean thing to say, but it had worked. All he could do was nod.  
  
"Good. Now, your mother awaits your arrival."  
  
He turned again towards Rachael, and tipped his hat. Then they were teleported from her sight.  
  
When they were gone, Rachael thought to herself. "(Now that I don't have any more loved ones to worry about, I can now continue this search)." She told herself that, but deep down inside, she was doing this for vengeance. She then looked at the door, which seemed to have one of the locks open. "(Nate seems to be moving rather quickly)." It was more of a sarcastic statement than anything else.  
  
Her thoughts were immediately cut short by one of the doors opening and closing. She quickly turned around, readying her whip as she did so. She calmed down when she saw who the figure was.  
  
"So we meet again, Alucard." She said.  
  
"Not that it is any of my business, but have you found your brother?" he asked.  
  
"Well, yes..but.."  
  
Alucard could see the sadness in her eyes as tears were beginning to form again.  
  
"I see. So his safety was not without a price."  
  
"...Look, this is something I have to do! Please let me be!"  
  
Alucard didn't say a word, but noticed the cuts and bruises on her legs. Rachael noticed this. After all, it wasn't easy to hide the fact that she'd been injured.  
  
"Yeah, I know." She said. "But I don't see any first aid kits."  
  
"The door I just exited." He started. "The door to its left are the bedchambers. There should be plenty of healing items, as well as food and a place to rest."  
  
"Assuming I don't get killed in my sleep, right?"  
  
"Just make sure you clear the area first." Then he walked up to the large door, and inserted the key into the second slot. It made a clicking sound, confirming that it worked. Then he faced Rachael.  
  
"You seem too inexperienced for this. I will handle him on my own." And without saying another word, he left, and entered a random door.  
  
She just stood there for a moment, looking at the giant door. There were only two keys left to find. She pondered at Alucards words. She knew he was right, but she couldn't stop now. Not after what happened. She looked at the door that Alucard had spoken of, and walked towards it, her footsteps lightly pounding against the ground, allowing an echo for every step. She was also wincing for each stroke of pain caused by every movement of her legs. When she reached the door, she placed her hand on the handle, and took a deep breath. She was already feeling nervous.  
  
She took another deep breath, and slowly opened the door.  
  
Meanwhile: Garden  
  
Nate had entered the garden one more time in hopes of finishing off the chainsaw freak that he ran from earlier. He was successful, as he stared at the lifeless body of the creature, its arm severed and can be viewed across from the body. Without the metallic dogs to help it, Nate was able to kill it.  
  
He looked at his combat knife, which has been covered in blood since the battle. This was what he used to kill the creature. He was covered in sweat and dirt, but wasn't bleeding, save for the dog bite he got earlier. And with a freak wielding a chainsaw, it either had to be a flawless victory, or beef jerky.  
  
Sitting down, he admired his surroundings. Outside of the labyrinth hedge maze, the garden was actually a very beautiful place. The grass was green and well trimmed, there were exotic flowers of many varieties surrounding the area, there were bright red roses, each bundled in their respectful thorn bushes, and willow trees as far as the eyes can see. He also looked towards the sky. It was strange how there could be so much green, especially given the fact that everywhere around the castle was trapped in eternal darkness.  
  
He began to think about what he had read in history books. He remembered reading about an ebony stone that was responsible for it. If he could actually find this stone, he would be filthy rich! There wouldn't be a single jewel collector that wouldn't want to get their hands on it.  
  
The only problem, was that it resided somewhere in this castle. Anyone who tried before him either couldn't find the place, or never returned. In fact, ever since rumors of the castle showing up have been spreading, many people mysteriously started disappearing, including his sister, whose disappearance was the most mysterious of them all. Like himself, she was also a treasure hunter.  
  
A few months ago, when she had heard of the Ebony stone being found in a strange castle, she quickly set out to find it. He would've accompanied her along the way, but he was busy with his own treasure hunt at the time. Her disappearance led to another, and then another. Each clue always led to this castle.  
  
Perhaps treasure wasn't the only reason he decided to embark on this quest. Sure, he liked the idea of being rich, but solving the mystery to his sisters, as well as many others, disappearances would be a better bonus. Whatever the reasons, he was here, and he wasn't planning on leaving until he either solved the mystery, and/or he found the Ebony stone, which is why he decided to come alone. He wouldn't risk the lives of any other hunter but himself.  
  
So he packed his things, and was ready to explore the garden some more. Perhaps the Ebony stone was here? If not, there were always bound to be other sorts of treasures.  
  
Meanwhile: Guest area  
  
Rachael was very surprised at her surroundings. Everything from the red carpet floor, the Catholic type church windows, the renaissance style furniture and art, to the way everything looked so clean, was so beautiful. On the walls, where candles would normally be, were lights that resembled Victorian candle stands. And from the ceiling hung a very exquisite chandelier, each with its own lights, and diamonds around every edge. Dracula definitely had very rich tastes.  
  
Unfortunately, a rose wasn't without its thorns. Flying about were ghosts. They were dressed in tuxedos and cleaning garments, like that of butlers and maids. She assumed that they must've been the servants of the castle. She kept her guard up, but for some reason, the ghosts continued their wandering as if she wasn't there. Finally noticing this, she thought it best to not disturb them. Right now, she needed to find some kind of infirmary. But most of this castle is undead, so what were the chances of finding one?  
  
Suddenly, all of the ghosts quickly disappeared. She looked around nervously. Something was definitely going on. She kept her hand near her whip, ready to strike at anything that charges at her. She quickly turned to her side to see one of the doors opening. Then a figure stepped out of it. It ran as fast as it could around the corridor. It finally stopped when it was in the same corridor as her, and walked towards her.  
  
She clutched her whip tightly. Whatever it was, she was apparently going to have to fight it. When the figure was finally into view, her guard immediately dropped. She could not believe who it was.  
  
"Nate?" she asked, still not quite sure.  
  
"Yes, I am." He answered. "I'm glad to see that you're safe. I just ran into a spot of trouble myself."  
  
She looked at his clothing, and then his face. He seemed to have been 'cleaned up' for someone who ran into any kind of trouble in 'this' castle.  
  
"You don't look like you were in any trouble!" she quickly said, having her guard up again.  
  
He looked at his clothes, and chuckled.  
  
"Oh, this?" he said. "I just had myself a cleanup and a bath in their bathrooms. They're pretty large, with first aid kits and everything.'" Then he scanned the injured woman. "You look like you could use it. It looks like you struggled against a horde of demons or something." He joked. Seeing the sudden change in her expression, he stopped smiling. "Oh, I see. Sorry about that. Come. Let's get you cleaned up."  
  
Finally trusting him, she accepted his help, and he carried her to the bathrooms.  
  
Bathrooms  
  
Rachael blushed profusely as she had to remove her pants in front of Nate. He saw the cuts and bruises that were surrounding most of her flesh.  
  
"Man, they really did a number on ya." He said as he grabbed some rubbing alcohol from one of the drawers. He applied some to a clean rag. "Now, brace yourself. This might hurt a little."  
  
She winced in pain as the alcohol was taking effect. Every time he gently rubbed one of her wounds, she would wince, sometimes even groan. When he was finished, he put the kit away.  
  
"There, all better." He said.  
  
"Thank you." She said.  
  
"No problem." Then he went over and turned on the shower. "You could use one, you know."  
  
Rachael blushed. He noticed this, and laughed a little.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't peek. In fact, I'll stand outside if you want."  
  
She quickly shook her head. "No! Don't! Something might happen to you!"  
  
"Okay then." He said. "I don't know why you're so nervous all of a sudden, but I'll just turn around."  
  
"Thank you." She said.  
  
So he turned around as she was removing her clothes. After that, she entered the shower. The warm water felt so soothing on her aching bones. As she scrubbed her body, she could feel the tension going away as she basked in the water. She could feel all the dirt, grime, and blood from her hair wash away as the water hit it. When she was done scrubbing, she washed her hair next. Having long hair had a downside when washing, as it took time, and often tired her arms.  
  
When she was finished with her shower, she turned off the water.  
  
"Um, Nate? Where do I find the towels?"  
  
"I found 'em in the third drawer." He said.  
  
"Oh. Thanks."  
  
So she removed one, and dried herself off. Then she wrapped it around herself, being sure to cover any areas that shouldn't be seen in public. She picked up her clothes, which were very dirty from battle.  
  
"It's too bad I have to wear these after such a soothing shower."  
  
Nate turned around. "Well then. Why don't you wash them first?" he offered as he was pointing to a washing machine. "I just saw them there. They did quite a bit of good for my clothes."  
  
She looked at the machines strangely. Sure enough, it was a washing machine, and next to it was a drying machine. She would've thought of it as silly if not for the fact that it 'was' modern times, and Dracula's castle shouldn't be any different. Besides, I'm sure even vampires appreciated clean clothes.  
  
So she shrugged the thought off, and put them in the washing machine. She set it to warm, and it turned on automatically. The timer said 30 minutes.  
  
She walked up to Nate, who was bringing out food from his backpack. They were mostly rations, but they would do.  
  
"So, you hungry?" he asked as he offered her a sandwich. "It may not be fresh, but it's not past its expiration date."  
  
She gratefully accepted it. The shower made her kind of hungry, so she quickly ate it. Nate gave her a bottle of water as well, which she quickly accepted and drank. Nate laughed.  
  
"And I thought 'I' was hungry."  
  
"Sorry." She said. "I've just been through a lot lately."  
  
"No kidding. This place is a nightmare on every corner!" then he walked closer to her. "So, what about you? What happened since we last met?"  
  
She stood silent for a moment. Her depression was returning again. Tears began to well up in her eyes again.  
  
"That bad?" he asked. "Please, tell me about it."  
  
So she did. She explained every detail since they first entered the Catacombs. How she lost Kim in the darkness, how there was a creepy old man, how she was attacked by hordes of knights, a three headed dog, and a giant demon. She even told about how she nearly got swallowed by one. When she was done explaining everything that happened, Nate held her close as she was crying again.  
  
"There-there, it's alright." He said. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you, even if it means losing my own life."  
  
She held him closer. "No. Just leave this place. Let me deal with Dracula on my own."  
  
"But I'm a treasure hunter. I can't back out now."  
  
She pulled back. "No! Leave this place! I lost my father and best friend to this place! I even nearly lost my brother! I can't bear to lose another friend! So leave! Just go and---"  
  
She was interrupted by a kiss from Nate. A very quick and slightly passionate one. She moaned a little, but quickly pulled away.  
  
"What did you do that for?!"  
  
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time."  
  
Rachael blushed. "Huh? W-what do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that ever since I laid eyes on you, I couldn't remove you from my mind." Then he held her hand. "Losing you would mean just the same as losing my life anyways."  
  
"B-but isn't this s-so sudden?"  
  
"Yes, but as far as we know, we might die today. That's why I needed to let you know right now."  
  
"I-I see."  
  
And with that, he kissed her again, but this time, the kiss was more passionate as his tongue began to explore her mouth. She accepted this, not realizing that her hormones had taken over. He slowly removed her towel, and let it hit the floor. He broke the kiss, and began to kiss her neck, and gently caressed her breasts with her hands. Rachael was unaware of her impulses, but was in total bliss. She moaned again at every touch.  
  
Suddenly, the timer on the washing machine went off, snapping her back to her senses. She quickly parted from him, and put back on her towel.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't know what came over me, but I'm not ready for this."  
  
"But," Nate started, "but don't you want this?"  
  
"Not yet." She said. "Besides, the last thing I need to do right now is sin. I'm sorry, but please understand."  
  
Nate sighed. "So, there's no way I can talk you out of it?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid not."  
  
Suddenly, he started laughing. Not a normal laugh, but an evil, sadistic, and vile laughter that got pretty loud. Rachael quickly picked up her whip.  
  
"What's going on?!" she exclaimed. "Answer me!"  
  
After laughing, he looked at her, and grinned evilly.  
  
"Your luck strikes again, I see." He answered, but his voice dual sounding. "I applaud you."  
  
Her eyes widened. "W-what are you?!"  
  
He laughed again as his form changed shape into something else. When it was complete, he was a tall man with long brown hair, pale skin, and wore nothing but black leather jeans. He grinned again as wings protruded from his back. Wings that resembled a giant bat.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself." He said, still in a dual voice. "I am Kaseem, an Incubus. I'm sure your Nate is somewhere around, but that doesn't matter. Since you didn't fall into my trap, I'll just have to kill you the hard way."  
  
End of chapter 4.


	5. On the brink of death

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.  
  
Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends  
  
Chapter 5  
  
On the brink of death  
  
The Incubus laughed as he witnessed the look of shock and horror on the young Belmont's face. She couldn't believe that she actually poured out her emotions like that. The mere thought of this vile creature touching her in those areas were enough to make her feel sick to her stomach. Kaseem hovered into the air, looking down upon his prey.  
  
"I hope you liked my little ruse." He said, still savoring the horror on her face. "Don't take it personally. I'm just doing my job, although I have to admit that I have fun in doing so."  
  
Rachael quickly shook off the shock, and readied her whip.  
  
"That was a horrible thing to do!"  
  
This made Kaseem smirk. Lowering himself to her same height, he glared at her. A flash of red light came from his eyes, and then he slowly walked behind her. Rachael tried her best to move, but to no avail. Something was keeping her from budging an inch.  
  
"It's useless to struggle." He said as he wrapped his arms and wings over her body. "If it's any consolation, my master requested me to specifically handle you, although I now wonder why he even saw you as a threat." He then kissed her neck just to send chills down her spine. "It was so easy to fool you."  
  
Regardless of the situation, Rachael still tried to free herself of the spell. Kaseem then started to slowly drain her energy, enjoying the sounds of her slight groans.  
  
As she felt her energy leaving her, she could feel herself losing consciousness. Her struggles were becoming weaker and weaker. Finally, she was no longer able to keep herself balanced, and fell to the floor. Kaseem quickly caught her, and gently laid her down on the floor. He stopped draining energy from her, and looked at her.  
  
She was still conscious and breathing slowly. He began to get aroused as he watched her chest breathe in and out. He then removed the towel she was wearing in order to get a better look at her body.  
  
"Very nice." He said. "I won't kill you just yet. Besides, there's not much you can do anyways."  
  
Her eyes widened in horror as he was now caressing her nearly immobile body, touching areas that shouldn't be touched. She wanted to scream, but it wouldn't do much good. Trying to think quickly, she muttered to herself so that Kaseem couldn't hear her.  
  
"Please. give me the strength needed to get me out of this mess." she figured that if prayer worked before, it might work again.  
  
Suddenly, she could feel some strength returning to her arms and legs. She was so happy that she was able to move again, but decided to wait for an open opportunity before making her move.  
  
She then stared at him with immense hatred. He noticed this, and sat up.  
  
"Aw, do you really think that glares are going to save you? Are you perhaps hoping that someone will actually come to your aid? Well, this isn't the movies, so you'll have to think again."  
  
Rachael now saw her opportunity as he was standing up. She noticed his hands reaching for his thighs, most likely to remove his pants. Wasting no further time, she kicked him in the crotch as hard as she could, quickly got up, kicked him in the face, and backed away. While he was still kneeling down from the pain, she rushed to her backpack and opened it. She pulled out the cross, the crystal, and the dagger she had found just before this event. Then she ran to the washing machine and grabbed her belt buckle, quickly wrapped it around her, and secured the cross, crystal, and dagger on it. She really wanted to put on her clothes, but he could get up any second now.  
  
Just as this thought crossed her mind, he recovered from the blow, his eyes glowing with irritation. She had just enough time to grab her whip before she was knocked against the wall by one of his wings. He then picked her up by the throat, and slammed her against the wall once again.  
  
"I offer you a pleasurable death, and this is how you repay me?!"  
  
He then used his glare again, but this time she quickly shut her eyes. Seeing this, he decided to throw her against one of the sinks. Still feeling the pain on her sides from when it hit the sink, she quickly got up again.  
  
"So you would rather die painfully? Well then, that can be arranged."  
  
He charged an energy blast at her. However, before he could shoot it, she threw the crystal at him, causing it to explode, and sending the Incubus flying through the wall, and into the hallway. She walked up to the newly formed exit, and slashed her whip at him.  
  
Unfortunately, he seen this and quickly flew out of the way. When he was out of reach, he looked at the burn marks the explosion had created. Parts of his face, arms, legs, and chest were decayed from the burn. The flesh underneath could easily be seen. Being a little vain, this was enough to anger him.  
  
"M-my face! My body! It's ruined!" Then he glared at the Belmont, who just glared back at him. "You bitch! Do you realize how long this is going to take to heal?!"  
  
"Tell it to someone who cares!" she shouted.  
  
She quickly threw the cross at him, which he responded by blocking it with his wing. Unfortunately, the scrape of the holy weapon caused his wing to burn. The cross acted as a boomerang, and returned to its owner who quickly caught it. Kaseem quickly landed, and his wings transformed into two Sabers. He charged at her, readying his blades. She tried to use her whip on him, but he quickly leapt over her. He quickly reprised by changing his swords into a whip, and striking her arms with it.  
  
Regardless of the pain it caused, she didn't drop it, and quickly slashed at him, successfully striking him in the torso. This caused him to stagger. Noticing this, Rachael quickly slashed with the whip several more times, each strike causing him to back away further and further. Eventually, he was at the edge, and she struck a final time, causing him to fall over the railing. After waiting a few seconds to see if he would jump back up, she walked over to the edge and peered over. She didn't see anything, save for some spots of blood.  
  
However, the minute she turned around, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked at it, and found that Kaseems wing had pierced her. Her own blood was dripping from the outer section of the winged blade, some of it falling to the floor. A second later, she saw the demon emerge from the ceiling, which he quickly kicked her over the edge. At the last second, she used her whip to wrap it around his neck, allowing herself to keep from falling.  
  
The immense pain of the holy weapon burned around Kaseems neck. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off. He tried to grab it, but his hands burned in the failed process. Eventually, it burned along with his entire head. Within seconds, it completely burned away, along with his entire body. Rachael was close enough to the ground to land on her feet, but the pain in her chest made her stagger as well. With the demon destroyed, the winged blade in her chest vanished, causing a slight burn, which was helpful in slowing the bleeding. She cried out in pain, clutched her chest, and began walking up the stairs. The ghosts that inhabited the area reappeared again.  
  
Unfortunately, they were intent on stopping her. On her way up, she would have to destroy one with her whip whenever they swooped down at her. When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she noticed that more ghosts were waiting for her. Remembering what Alucard had said about needing to clear a room before resting, she took out the crystal, and flung it at the ghosts. It destroyed a majority of them, but the remainder swooped at her, and grabbed her, trying to push her over the railing, while the biggest one strangled her. Since they were in too close of range to use the whip, she started hitting them with the cross instead. This seemed to work, as they were now vanishing with each hit. The final ghost released her, and tried to fly away, but she quickly threw the cross at it, destroying the ghost completely.  
  
The cross returned to its owner, who after catching it, was on her knees, gasping for air. When she had finally caught her breath, she slowly got up again. She was feeling weaker and weaker from her wound. She made her way to the bathroom, using the hole in the wall as an entrance. She went to the first aid kit that Kaseem brought out before, and opened it. Unfortunately, her vision was now blurred, and she couldn't see what she was doing.  
  
"(This won't work at all)!" she thought. "(I'm going to need some help here)."  
  
So she dropped the kit and walked to her backpack, almost falling in the process. She brought out the contract and summoned Renon. Unfortunately, she lost consciousness before she could say anything, and collapsed on top of it.  
  
Renon appeared and looked around. Then he saw the unconscious Belmont lying on the contract. He rolled her over and noticed a pink mark around her neck, and blood slowly coming out of her chest wound.  
  
"What a mess." He said to himself. "I told you that you couldn't just keep counting on luck to pull you through. Well, let's see if you're still at least among the living."  
  
After covering her with a towel, he checked her pulse. She was still alive, but barely. He knew that he could treat the wound, but without confirmation from the one who wielded the contract, it simply wasn't allowed. Besides, he didn't want to get his suit dirty. He pondered the situation for a moment, weighing the results of her well being and his business. Finally, he came up with a conclusion.  
  
"Well, I'm most certainly not going to get blood all over me, but I also simply cannot let her die. It's bad for business, especially considering that she hasn't reached her spending limit yet. I'm going to have to call my superiors about this kind of situation."  
  
So he took out a cell phone, and dialed some numbers. He talked to his boss, the one who told him about Rachael, and about the situation. When he was done speaking, he hung up, and then looked at Rachael.  
  
"It seems that I have been allowed an exception to the rule. I will transport that Nate person over here. Let 'him' become covered in blood." Then he used his powers to teleport Nate, who was still exploring the garden. Renon quickly vanished before he was spotted.  
  
Nate looked around in confusion. He wasn't sure how he got here all of a sudden, but was a bit nervous as to who did it. He then noticed a small trail of blood which led right to Rachael, whose condition has worsened. His eyes widened at the sight, but he quickly grabbed the first aid kit, and rushed to her. He removed the towel, revealing her wound, but also her naked body. He blushed and quickly turned away.  
  
"(How am I going to do this)?" he thought. "(I need to help her quickly, but if I look at her naked, well, I can't even 'imagine' what the results might be)!" He looked around for another towel, which he quickly grabbed, and placed on top of her lower section. He did the same for her upper section, revealing only the wound.  
  
After treating and disinfecting the wound, he noticed that his hands were covered in blood. So were his knees, but that's because of the blood on the floor. He wiped is hands with one of the towels, and removed from his backpack a first aid kit of his own. From within it, he grabbed a potion of some sort, and lightly poured the contents down Rachael's throat, holding her up so that the liquid went all the way down. He looked at her wound, which seemed to already be growing a scab.  
  
Nate smiled at this. "(Works as fast as expected)."  
  
He gathered up her things, and found a room right next to them. He checked for any creatures, but none were present. So then he placed her things in front of the foot of the bed, and then walked back to Rachael. He blushed a little, knowing that he'll have to carry her to the room. He lifted her up, and walked to the room, while also trying to ignore the fact that her body was pressed against his.  
  
When he reached the bed, he laid her down on it, and covered her up with the blankets. He could see the anguish on her face, but at least she would be alright. He also looked at his clothes, which were still dirty from the blood of not only Rachael, but some of the monsters he had previously killed.  
  
"Well, I suppose a quick shower wouldn't hurt, but what about Rachael? I can't just leave her here alone." He thought about that for a moment. While he was thinking, a weird glow emanated from inside Rachael's bed sheets. Before he could see what it was, he was pushed backwards, along with Rachael's backpack, by an unknown force, and a flash of light. When he opened his eyes, a transparent barrier was around the bed that seemed to be resonating from whatever that was glowing from under the blankets. It was the cross she had equipped, but he wasn't able to see that.  
  
"What's going on here?" he asked aloud. Strangely, he heard a voice inside his head, which was actually Renon using telepathy.  
  
"There is no need to worry about her. For as long as the barrier stands, she is protected from any unholy creature, myself included."  
  
"W-who are you?"  
  
But the voice became silent. Not sensing any further messages, he decided to listen to the voice and go get cleaned up, still making sure to stay within earshot.  
  
Meanwhile: Meeting quarters  
  
Alucard ventured further, searching for the final key needed to enter the throne room. To him, the monsters here were simple to defeat, making his search through the castle quicker. He searched the entire floor, room by room, but found nothing but monsters, which he quickly slain. His search brought him back to the main hall of the area. He knew that there must've been a secret passageway or something that he didn't see. He then summoned the fairy and demon familiars to aid him in his search.  
  
So they searched for a while until the demon familiar found something. He motioned for them to come closer. He pointed to a row of candle holders on the walls.  
  
"I think that there is something strange around here." It said. "Let us find out."  
  
So the demon and fairy familiar pulled at the candles until one of them moved, revealing a new entrance underneath. Alucard thanked the demon familiar before sending it away.  
  
"I shall go as well, master." Said the fairy familiar.  
  
"Not yet." Alucard said. "I need you to guide me while I'm down there. I'm sensing a very dangerous aura down there."  
  
"It shall be done, master."  
  
And so she guided him into the dark room.  
  
Coliseum  
  
With the fairy as his guide, Alucard entered the Coliseum. Strangely, this room was unaffected by modern changes. It was still lit by candles, the floors, walls, and pillars were still made of stone, and the statues looked to be hundreds of years old. They were statues of angels and demons, each with a sword and shield and in various battle stances. The pillars were of a floral design, with vines growing from the ground up, intertwining each pillar.  
  
"Be careful, master. Monsters hide within the darkness."  
  
So he walked further into the Coliseum, sword in hand. Whenever a monster jumped out of nowhere, he would quickly slice it in half. Eventually, the monsters just left him alone. They kept walking along until the reached the center of the Coliseum, the arena. When they reached the center, searchlights automatically shone upon him. He quickly shielded his eyes, but then got them adjusted to the light. It was obvious that this whole thing was set up, but who set it up was the main question.  
  
"Master! Up there!"  
  
Alucard quickly looked at the throne where an emperor would usually sit. Occupying it was a tall, slender looking young man with long white hair, thin lips and a very pale face. His eyes had a red tint in them, which only gave away the fact that he was a vampire. The man stood up, lightly applauding the half-breeds succession in making it this far.  
  
"Well done." He said. "So they were right about a half-breed roaming this castle. Such beings are a rarity. Unfortunately, they are also an abomination."  
  
"Like you're one to talk, vampire!" shouted the fairy.  
  
"Silence, little fly, or I shall have your wings clipped." He said calmly. "Honestly, where does a lowly familiar get off talking some one of higher superiority like that. You should really be punished for that." The he turned his attention back at Alucard. "Alucard, I presume?"  
  
Alucard didn't say a word, but just kept leering at him.  
  
"Fine, don't talk. I won't be as rude as you were. It's not a noble's style." Then he floated to the front of the arena. "My name is Joachim, Lord of this castle."  
  
The fairy laughed at this. "You? A lowly vampire, reigning over the high and mighty Dracula? What even makes you-"  
  
"Shut up, foul wench!" shouted Joachim angrily. "You will address me in an orderly fashion!" He then waved his hand, causing the familiar to crash into a wall. Looking back at Alucard, he continued. "Like I stated before, I am the new Lord of this castle."  
  
"How is that possible?" he asked. "My father's power came from the crimson stone. You do not seem to possess it."  
  
"Not yet, I don't." Joachim calmly answered. "But I shall soon! You see, back when Julius Belmont defeated Dracula and sealed the original castle in an eclipse, he mysteriously disappeared. The crimson stone did as well."  
  
"Original castle? What do you mean?"  
  
"Wasn't it obvious? If the castle is in the moon, then this must definitely be a replica, am I right?"  
  
"Answer the question!"  
  
"Through a very reliable connection, your father's shadow was resurrected; therefore 'I' was resurrected to aid him in his full resurrection. As part of a reward for my assistance, my powers were increased tenfold. I then used my power to re-create Castlevania the way it was, with a few modifications, of course. Doing so will allow the crimson stone to resurface as well. And when that happens, I will take Dracula's power for my own, and become the 'true' Lord of the vampires!"  
  
Alucard readied his sword. The fairy familiar flew by his side.  
  
"Although my father may not know of your treachery, and although I am also here to slay him, it seems that I must slay 'you' first."  
  
Joachim laughed at this. "So you actually think that you can stop me? Unfortunately for you, I need only the assistance of a Belmont, which is why that girl was lured here."  
  
"What do you mean?! Answer me!"  
  
"I'll tell you what you need to know, 'IF' you can live that long." He levitated into the air, and spread out his arms. "Look around you, half breed. You'll notice that you won't stand a chance."  
  
Alucard quickly looked all around him. On the walls were various types of swords and battle axes. Within seconds, they were lifted up from where they hung, and flew at Joachim, surrounding him like a shield.  
  
"Let's see how powerful you are."  
  
Alucard charged at Joachim, leapt in midair, and shot a volley of fireballs at him. The weapons just proved to be a shield, blocking him from harm. He then raised his hands, and shot an array of swords at him. Alucard swiftly jumped out of their way, and then dodged the axe swings that followed. He eventually made his way to Joachim, and sliced toward his abdomen. Unfortunately, a blue barrier quickly had shown itself before disappearing again.  
  
Joachim used his telekinesis to push Alucard against the wall. Then he swung his axes at him, which were barely dodged thanks to the Dhampires super speed. Swords were shot in his direction next, which was dodged by the mist form. Joachim laughed insanely as Alucard tried in vain to try to pierce the force field once again.  
  
"You fool!" he exclaimed. "I am invulnerable to death!" He then pushed him away once again with his telekinesis.  
  
Meanwhile, the fairy familiar was busy looking around for a weakness. Finally, she found some light behind the pillars. She quickly rushed to Alucard, who was busy dodging many more swords and axes.  
  
"Master!" she shouted while also dodging. "The weakness is behind the pillars!"  
  
"Thank you." He answered. "Now return!" he had sent her away, dodged some more weapons, and charged behind a pillar.  
  
It was just as she said. There was a ball of white light, and electricity surrounding it. Knowing that his weapon would be able to pierce through it, he struck the energy ball. It completely vanished, surprising Joachim, who quickly sent more weapons after him.  
  
Using his quick speed, he dodged each weapon, and struck the next ball of light. However, when he reached the third one, flames surrounded the area. He then took out a dagger, and threw it at the ball, completely destroying it.  
  
Joachim's barrier was now completely gone. Alucard wasted no further time in charging at Joachim, who flew out of his way, and back on the throne.  
  
"Well done." He said. "You were as strong as I thought." Then he raised his hands in the air, and red skeletons emerged from the ground. "As much as I'd like to continue this little game, I'm afraid your sacrifice is needed as soon as possible." Then he sealed all the exits. "I really have other matters to attend to right now, such as getting things ready for the Belmont. I expect to see you alive, but if not, well I guess you weren't really that powerful after all."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"All shall be revealed in time. Until then, I've arranged a playmate to keep you busy. I hope you won't be 'too' rough on her."  
  
From within the shadows, a familiar young woman appeared. Her eyes were vacant, and she was wielding a double edged sword. Alucard quickly recognized her.  
  
"Cecilia?"  
  
She didn't respond. Her glazed look told everything.  
  
"She lost her humanity."  
  
"Ah, quite so." Answered Joachim. "It was hard work, but we've finally won her over to the darkness." Then he faced Cecilia and the red skeletons. "Your orders are to kill him." Then he vanished.  
  
The red skeletons ran up to him, each swinging a mace, which was successfully blocked. He destroyed the red skeletons, and quickly went up to Cecilia, who was still not moving. She looked up at Alucard and hissed at him.  
  
She then quickly jumped out of the way. The red skeletons recovered, and were swinging at him once again. He jumped onto the row of seats to get out of their way. Cecilia, however, tried to strike him there. He quickly dodged again. He looked towards her, but lost sight of her. However, she quickly came out of hiding, and jumped on his back. She almost bit at his neck, but quickly stopped herself, allowing Alucard to throw her into the arena.  
  
Cecilia's eyes became their normal color once again. She looked at Alucard, who was dispatching the red skeletons again.  
  
"Alucard?"  
  
He quickly turned around. "Cecilia? You've normalized?"  
  
"Yes, but it was only because I caught your scent." She then fell to her knees in bloody tears. "I don't know how long I can keep fighting this! Please! Please kill me now!"  
  
Before he could respond, however, the red skeletons recovered once again. They lunged at Alucard, and held him in place. Cecilia walked over towards him.  
  
"They're ready for me to kill you now."  
  
"Is that what you plan to do?"  
  
"Although the darkness within me is strong, there is still some humanity left in me." Then she pointed to a red skeleton. "They keep reviving due to demon blood. If you won't kill me, at least kill the one who has changed me."  
  
Without hesitation, she tackled at red skeleton, inserted her fangs into its skull, and drained it of its blood. Alucard took this opportunity to destroy the ones that were holding him yet again. Within seconds, the one that Cecilia pinned down was drained of all its blood, finally destroying it for good. She then walked over to the corner of the arena, and regurgitated the demon blood. The red skeletons recovered again, and were now trying to attack Cecilia.  
  
"Go!" she shouted. "Get away from here this instant! These things might beat me, but they can never kill me! I'll drain all of them in the end!"  
  
She then dispatched the group, and picked up one of their skulls. "The doors have been unlocked. Go now, and at least grant me vengeance!"  
  
"But what about the key?"  
  
She first destroyed the red skeletons, and yet again when they recovered, and then she answered him. "You'll find it in the library. It's the least obvious place! Now go!" Then she bit into the red skull.  
  
"I hope that the next time I find you, it will be on better terms." Then he departed as she finished draining the skeletons blood, and repeating the earlier said process.  
  
Meanwhile: Guest area: Bedroom  
  
Nate returned from cleaning himself up, and he even washed his clothes while he was at it. He felt cleaner wearing them, and was also carrying Rachael's newly dried clothes in his arms. He locked the door, and set them on a table. He continued to watch her until suddenly, the barrier disappeared, and the glowing cross stopped glowing. He quickly got on his guard, but then relaxed when he saw Rachael's eyes flutter open.  
  
She looked at her surroundings, and quickly jumped out of bed. Realizing that she was still nude, she quickly wrapped herself up, and noticed a now blushing Nate staring at her.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're alright." He said. "You had me worried there for a moment."  
  
"Nate?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Good question. I'm still kinda figuring out that one myself. One minute I was in a garden getting rid of a chainsaw freak and treasure hunting, the next minute I find a pretty woman with no clothes on, bleeding to death no less."  
  
She remembered the events with Kaseem, and quickly got on her guard. "Not sure, you say?"  
  
"Uh, yeah." He really wasn't sure why she was asking that.  
  
Rachael walked backwards, saw her whip, and struck at Nate, who barely dodged it. This of course, took him by surprise.  
  
"Hey, what gives?! I only peeked once!"  
  
"Who are you?!" she shouted.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about? It's me, Nate. Don't you recognize me?"  
  
"Save it for your next victim, whatever you are!"  
  
This confused him. "Uh, first off, I'm a human. Geez, what's gotten into ya?"  
  
"If you really are Nate, prove it!"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Allow me to strike you with my whip!"  
  
Nate's eyes widened. "Come again?"  
  
"You heard me!"  
  
"B-but if you do that, it'll hurt, badly!" he said as he was slowly backing away. "I am who I am! Really!"  
  
Without giving him a chance to back away any further, she slashed him across the chest. He winced in pain.  
  
"There, are you satisfied now?! I'm not some demon that's going to burn when struck with that!" then he rubbed the part that got struck. "But this 'is' going to leave a mark."  
  
Now seeing that he was telling the truth, Rachael felt relieved.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Nate. I just had to make sure."  
  
She advanced towards him, but he nervously backed away. She noticed that she was still holding the whip, and threw it on the bed. After that, he didn't back away. She hugged him tightly.  
  
"I'm sorry for doing that, but I've been through a lot!"  
  
He hugged her back. "It's alright. What happened anyway?"  
  
She shook her head. "There's too much detail, and I might start crying."  
  
"I have the time, sort of. Tell me about it. The least I can do is listen."  
  
"You saved my life, and that's plenty for me."  
  
"Please. It'll make you feel better afterwards."  
  
"Well. alright, but let me do one more test to prove that you're the real Nate."  
  
He gulped at this. "Um, it's not something painful, is it?"  
  
She just shook her head, and removed the cross from her belt. She placed it on his face, but nothing happened. She put the cross away, and hugged him once again.  
  
"It really 'is' you!"  
  
"Of course it's me. Who did you think I was, some kind of doppelganger?"  
  
"No, worse."  
  
"Well, it's okay now."  
  
He hugged her back, but then blushed again when he realized that her chest was pressing against his.  
  
"Um, I don't mean to ruin the moment, but your clothes are dry. They're right on the table."  
  
Realizing that the only thing covering her was a blanket, she backed away, blushing profusely.  
  
"Thank you. Um, can you wait outside while I get changed?"  
  
He nodded, and then went outside the door. A couple minutes later, she was finished, and opened the door.  
  
"It's okay to come in now."  
  
So he entered, and closed the door behind him.  
  
"So, what happened since the last time I saw you?"  
  
So they both sat down, and she began to describe everything that had happened since then.  
  
End of chapter 5  
  
Thanks for reviewing, everyone! Sorry that this chapter took so long, but I was busy, and there were things that I needed to alter while making this chapter. I hope you all liked it.  
  
I look forward to your reviews.


	6. Sonnet of Legends

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.  
  
Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Sonnet of Legends  
  
Guest room  
  
After telling the whole story of what happened to her to Nate, she decided to rest for a while before searching through the castle once again. Nate, on the other hand, was ready to find at least 'some' kind of treasure, it being the reason he entered the castle and all.  
  
"Listen, Rachael." Nate started. "I want to continue my search through the castle, but I also don't want to leave ya behind."  
  
"Don't worry about me." Rachael assured. "I'm all better now. I just need to rest for a few minutes. Besides, where I'm headed next, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to follow."  
  
"You mean the throne room?"  
  
She nodded. Nate smiled at this.  
  
"On normal occasions, you would be right. You seem independent, but there's something about you that would make me worry." He then shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I'm developin' feelings for ya."  
  
Rachael was a bit surprised at this statement. She raised an eyebrow, but wasn't able to summon up the right words. Nate noticed this, and decided to answer her.  
  
"I know it sounds silly an' all, and I'm sorry for bein' bold, but I usually speak what's on my mind, often forgetting to filter out the details."  
  
After hearing this, she finally managed to speak.  
  
"Yeah. I know what you mean. I kinda feel the same way... about the feelings." She said the last part a little quietly, and she was looking at the floor.  
  
Nate walked up to her and gently held her chin up. He looked directly into her eyes. She was slightly blushing because of this.  
  
"It's okay." She said softly. "You don't have to say anything, at least not right away. You go on and do your mission. As soon as I find some treasure, I'll call for my squad to come pick it up. I'll also be sure to save something special for ya." Then he walked to the door and opened it up. He looked back towards her direction. "Just promise me one thing."  
  
Rachael slowly nodded.  
  
"Promise me that the next time I see you, you'll still be among the living."  
  
"Y-yes, of course." She finally said. "You be sure to do the same, alright?"  
  
Nate smiled and nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Then he gave one final wave. "Good luck to ya then." After he said this, he closed the door and left.  
  
Rachael then sat on the bed, thinking. Why was she still here even though her brother is safe? Why couldn't she just forget about Dracula, and live a normal life again? The answer was simple. If he gets his way, then all humanity would suffer, and she wouldn't get to live a normal life anyways. Plus, Kim would've died in vain. But there was now something other than that. The thought of Nate also dying in this castle was too horrible to comprehend. She was now regretting her decision on letting him leave. She knew that he was capable of surviving, but what if Dracula himself appeared? What will happen then?  
  
While she was thinking, she glanced over at her backpack, which was right next to her, and remembered the contract. Seeing this, she remembered that she didn't thank Renon for his help yet. There was something about the demonic salesman that didn't seem right, but she knew him, although they never met physically before, for about a year. It was difficult to distrust a friend, but something inside of her was nagging at her to be cautious.  
  
Finally shrugging the thoughts aside, she picked up her backpack, removed the contract, and summoned Renon, who appeared as usual. He smiled at her, and tipped his hat.  
  
"Greetings, friend." He said. "It is most fortunate to see that you have become well once again. Now, what is it that you need?"  
  
The female Belmont shook her head.  
  
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to thank you for helping."  
  
"No need for gratitude. I was given a special exception to the rules, it being bad for business to have you die and all. Besides, you 'are' a friend, right?"  
  
Rachael smiled. "Yes, we are."  
  
"So, is there anything at all that I can help you with?"  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, I am kinda hungry. A little thirsty too."  
  
"Not a problem. Might I suggest the roast chicken and ale? The food around this castle gives strength and replenishes energy."  
  
"Okay, but can the ale be substituted? I don't drink. Besides, my senses need to be sharp as long as I'm in this castle."  
  
"Very well. The cost of your meal will go to your bill."  
  
"Yeah, I kinda figured that."  
  
So Renon opened up his briefcase, and reached inside. He pulled out a red box that 6 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 6 inches deep. He also pulled out a golden goblet. He handed them to Rachael, who accepted them. She opened the box, and inside were legs of roasted chicken. She picked up one of them. Surprisingly, it was hot, as if it were fresh from the oven. She took a bite. The meat was very well seasoned, and quite moist. She looked at the goblet, which was empty at first, but then instantly filled up with grape juice. She took a sip. Also surprisingly, it was cold, as if it were taken right out of a refrigerator.  
  
A little later  
  
After eating her fill, she handed the box and the goblet back to Renon, which he promptly put back inside the briefcase. Rachael used one of the towels from the bathroom in order to clean her hands and mouth off.  
  
"Thank you." She said as she was getting ready to leave again.  
  
"No thanks are necessary. After all, it's going to your bill."  
  
"Yeah, that reminds me. Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Um, why is it that you had my grandfather sign the contract, rather than me? I didn't really think about it until just now."  
  
"Ah, I was wondering if you would ever ask that."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I am afraid that you cannot know the answer right now."  
  
This quickly made her worry. "Why? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing that will stop you on your quest to confront the Count, let me assure you."  
  
She was now worried a little more. "Please don't tell me this concerns my grandfather!"  
  
Renon could see the worry on her face. He knew that if she knew what was written on the contract, she would no longer spend anymore money. So he decided it best to not let her know about it for the time being.  
  
"Do not worry. It has nothing to do with your grandfather's well being, if that is what's worrying you." He lied. "Nor you. It's merely a means of keeping in contact with you. After all, you're only a College student, and he's an old man. He's more likely to be able to pay off the debt than you are, no offense."  
  
Rachael sighed in relief. "Oh. For a minute there, I thought his soul was in danger."  
  
Renon mentally smiled at this. She was astute, but still innocent as far as gullibility goes. He then decided to change the subject by commenting on her clothing.  
  
"Rather scruffy looking clothes, don't you think?"  
  
Rachael looked at her clothes. Although they were clean, some of it was a bit torn and worn out from the battles she previously encountered.  
  
"Well, they need a little mending, but they're not that bad!"  
  
Renon shook his head.  
  
"True, but not worthy of a vampire hunter. Might I suggest something more suitable?"  
  
"Oh? Like what?"  
  
Without answering her question, he opened up his briefcase once again. He reached in, and pulled out this strange leathery outfit. It looked like an armor breastplate, only lighter, along with shoulder pads, and no sleeves. The lower half looked like a hard leather skirt, only with two slits for leg movement, and showed off a lot of leg. Under it were built-in spandex shorts. Not the kind that were casual, but the kind that were worn by Japanese girls in gym class. Fortunately, the lower part of that was covered by the lower half of the armor. On the waist was a belt that had various pockets in order to keep items. On the side of it was a buckle where her whip could go.  
  
He handed it to Rachael, who accepted it. She was looking at the features of this type of armor was also dark blue in color. In other words, it looked like the traditional Belmont clothing that was similar to what Simon and Trevor wore.  
  
"It will be added to your bill, along with these." He said, and then vanished before she could say anything. The other item mentioned was a pair of black moccasin boots.  
  
Shrugging, she decided to try them on.  
  
A few minutes later  
  
It felt a little tight in some areas, but other than that, it fit quite well. She then looked at herself in the vanity, admiring the way it made her look. It was like she was given a cool costume. She rushed to her backpack, and removed the cross, holy water, crystal, dagger, and the first- aid kit she got from the bathroom, and put them securely in each of the compartments of her new belt buckle. She grabbed her whip, wrapped it in a coil like fashion, and attached it to the buckle where it nicely fit. She then put her other clothes on the bed. They would only slow her down, so she decided to leave them. She put on her backpack, and admired herself in the mirror again. She normally wasn't vain, but she really liked the way the armor made her look like the vampire hunters that her grandfather told her about in his stories. To make sure that she could avoid dangerous situations, she walked around the room, and then ran. She was definitely able to move faster in this, since the weight was surprisingly light.  
  
She then tried jumping around and rolling from side to side, and from front to back. She'd have to get used to her bare legs touching the cold floor, but at least now she'll be able to avoid attacks more quickly. After feeling a little more secure, and after catching her breath from all the rolling and running, she exited the door, shut it, went to the bathroom hole in the wall, entered it, and searched for another first-aid kit. Since she had more room in her backpack now, she put two of them, along with a towel, inside it. When she was finished with this, she brushed her hair, and was now ready to leave.  
  
Garden  
  
Meanwhile, Nate had decided to explore the garden once again. He had a strong feeling that the treasure was hidden here. While walking and slaying the occasional monster threat, he felt a patch of loose ground, but kept on walking. Eventually, the loose ground collapsed under him, causing him to fall into an unknown pit. He didn't expect this, and landed on his rear, hurting his tailbone in the process.  
  
"Ouch, that's smarts!" he muttered. He then looked ahead, and saw a corridor of some sort. Slowly getting up, he decided to explore it. The only source of light was what he was following at the end of it. Not a bright light, either. It was kind of dim, which was lit by fire. When he finally reached the end of the corridor, his eyes widened in amazement at the sight that lay before him.  
  
All that he could see before him was various amounts of treasure scattered about the incredibly large room. There was gold, silver, various jewels, coins, bags of money, and ancient artifacts. He took a few steps forward, and noticed that the ground he stood on was also covered in the same treasures.  
  
"(This is too good to be true)!" he thought.  
  
Unfortunately, he was correct. The minute he thought this, golden skeletons emerged from the ground. They weren't really made of gold, but gold dust covered their bones. They wasted no time in attacking him as they lunged towards them, equipped with swords and axes.  
  
Nate just grinned at this as he took out his shotgun, and started pumping rounds into the skulls of these creatures. When the others got closer, he quickly ran to the sides of the room, shooting and reloading when necessary. This would've been easy if not for the fact that for every skeleton he would destroy, a new one would take its place. Seeing this, he decided to take higher ground by running to the highest pile of gold. That way, he could see the whole room.  
  
When he did, and looked around, he could see the skeletons climbing their way towards him. Over the horizon, he saw a giant skeleton that stood at ten feet that definitely looked like it was made of gold. Behind it, however, was what looked like to be a huge stone Golem. It was obviously there to guard the giant skeleton, who was the one reproducing the other skeletons.  
  
Without wasting any further time, he threw a grenade at a group of skeletons, which promptly exploded. Using the newly cleared path, he rushed through it, and reached the giant skeleton. It responded by quickly running behind the Golem, which was about half the size of Galamoth. Its eyes glowed red, and looked straight at the treasure hunter. The first thing it did was charge at Nate, which he quickly got out of its way.  
  
He shot a few rounds with his shotgun, but it only succeeded in making small holes in it. It then stamped its foot on the ground, causing a shockwave, knocking the treasure hunter against the wall, along with the other skeletons. Unlike the fragile skeletons, however, Nate didn't break apart upon impact. Quickly recovering from the attack, he lit a stick of dynamite, and ran towards the creature. He stopped and ducked just as it tried to punch him, and then threw the stick at it when the fuse was very short, and ran. It looked at it, and then exploded when the dynamite stick did. Nate waited for the smoke to clear before trying anything.  
  
When it did, the Golem still stood. Fortunately, it was thinner, meaning the outer armor shell has broken off. Unfortunately, it now had a spike ball and chain attached to one arm socket, and a rail cannon attached to the other. Nate gaped in surprise. He expected the castle to change with the times, but he didn't expect the technology to be like this.  
  
The Golem looked at him again, and swung the ball and chain at him, almost hitting him if not for the fact that it was slow, and Nate was quick enough to dodge. He tried shooting it again with his shotgun. It did more damage this time, but not by much. He was about to take out a grenade, but stopped when he saw it charging its rail cannon. He also noticed the skeletons trying to attack him again.  
  
Trying to think quickly, he ran in zigzag directions, not sure as to where would be a safe place to take cover. The Golem then fired the rail cannon at Nates direction. He quickly ran behind on of the gold piles. The beam followed. Fortunately, the Golem could not see behind the gold, and was shooting above his head. He ducked as the beam was practically liquefying the gold above him. When the beam stopped, he looked around, and to his surprise, all of the skeletons had been destroyed, including the giant one. Apparently, this Golem couldn't distinguish targets.  
  
For a second, Nate thought he was in the clear. He was quickly proven wrong by the ball and chain destroying his hiding place. When it saw him, it charged up its rail cannon again.  
  
Finally deciding on a plan, he quickly threw a live grenade inside the spout of the canon. Then he ran as far as he could while a huge explosion took place, the pressure sending him all the way to the other side of the humungous room, sending him crashing against the wall. Exhausted, he just sat there, the entire room looking like it experienced warfare. The only treasure that was left untouched was the ones on lower part of the ground and against the walls. He had hoped to find the ebony stone here, but it looks like it's just one of those treasures that Dracula keeps with him.  
  
After catching his breath, he took out his communicator, and called his squad. After informing them of his whereabouts and the dangers of the situation, he broke contact. Looking around, he wondered what kind of treasure he should keep for himself, and what special thing to find for Rachael. He then remembered that she was still going to fight Dracula, and quickly stood up.  
  
"Well, I had better fulfill my promises." He said to himself. "I will go help you. But first, let me keep my promise on finding something special for ya. I'll make it quick, though, being an expert at arriving at the nick of time and all. The squad can just haul away the remaining treasures."  
  
So he stood up and began his search.  
  
Long Library  
  
Rachael had eventually found herself in a very large library, with books on shelves as far as the eye can see. At the end of the hall was Alucard, and he was talking to an old man that was sitting down. They quickly stopped their conversation and focused on the newcomer. Feeling a little uneasy, she approached them as quickly as she could. Alucard greeted her, while the Librarian just eyed her cautiously.  
  
"I see that you lived." Alucard said. "And that you have a new wardrobe."  
  
"Yes, thank you." Rachael answered. "Um, what're you doing right now?"  
  
"None of your business, human!" exclaimed the Librarian, but then sighed. "Sorry about that. It's just that your getup reminds me of the Belmont's that slay my master."  
  
"It's.. okay." Rachael said a little nervously. Letting him know that she was a Belmont was the last thing she wanted right now.  
  
"Anyways," the Librarian continued, "Young master here was asking for my help. I just refused, so don't think you're getting any help from me, either."  
  
"You will be well rewarded." Alucard said as he placed a pouch of gold coins on the desk.  
  
The Librarian happily picked up the pouch, and removed a coin, examining it carefully.  
  
"Well then, how can I help you?"  
  
"I need to know where the final key is. I was told that it resided here."  
  
"That it does, young master. That it does. The only problem is finding it. All I remember is that it's on the left wing of these bookshelves. My memory is still pretty fuzzy, especially with a human around." Then he looked at Rachael. "However, perhaps something of value can recollect my memory."  
  
"I'm sorry." Rachael said. "But I don't have any money."  
  
"Who said that all things of value had to be money?"  
  
This made the Belmont grimace. "I don't think so!"  
  
The Librarian laughed at her assumption. "That wasn't quite what I had in mind, although if I were several hundred years younger, I might've considered it."  
  
"Then what do you want?"  
  
He then noticed the glow that emanated from her whip. His eyes widened in shock as he quickly stood up.  
  
"That weapon right there is the legendary vampire killer! The only one that possesses such a thing is a Belmont!" Then he quickly got on his guard. "Get away from this place! Begone!"  
  
Alucard observed the situation, brought out a larger pouch of gold, and set it on the table.  
  
"You never saw this woman, understand?"  
  
The Librarian looked at the large sum of money, and all of his fears quickly vanished. After quickly scooping up the money, he sat down.  
  
"What woman? I never saw her in my life." Then he pointed towards the left wing. "You will find what you are looking for in the children's stories section. It's pretty small, so you shouldn't miss it."  
  
"I thank you."  
  
"And I thank you. Farewell for now."  
  
So Alucard and Rachael walked towards the area the Librarian had spoke of. When they arrived, they noticed the rows of books set before them. Fortunately, it was only four rows.  
  
"I'll search the first two. You search the other two."  
  
Rachael nodded in agreement, and they both went to search for the hidden key.  
  
Later  
  
While Rachael was searching, she kept shaking each book, hoping for the key to come out. She then reached this poetry book titled "Sonnet of Legends." Since she was a fan of Sonnets, she decided to read a few. They actually turned out to be Sonnets related to Castlevania history. The words were actually pretty moving. She checked the front of the book for the author. Turns out, the author happened to be an 'authoress' by the name of Lisa Tepes.  
  
Since the Sonnets sounded very lovely, she decided to put it in her backpack. She knew that it didn't belong to her, but if it's in Dracula's domain, she didn't care.  
  
Meanwhile, Alucard had been frantically searching, shaking each book, one by one. Eventually, a book he had removed was the correct one, and the moment he shook it, a key fell out. Alucard then picked it up, and examined it. It was definitely the key he had been searching for. He placed it in his pocket, and looked at the cover. The book consisted of fables, all of which his mother written for him when he was a child. Clutching the book to his heart, he decided to take the book from this place as a memento of his mother, aside from his sword and shield, that is.  
  
"Thank you for helping me once again, mother." He said quietly.  
  
After that, he walked over to the other side of the bookshelves, where Rachael was still searching for the key.  
  
"I found it." He said.  
  
Rachael then stopped searching.  
  
"That's a relief. Maybe now we can finally enter the throne room."  
  
Alucard didn't say a word, but just motioned for them to get going.  
  
Later  
  
They were now at the main door, where all of the other locks have been opened. Alucard inserted the final key into the keyhole, and turned. Within seconds, the doors instantly flew open by themselves. However, blocking that door was yet another door. On it was a seal that read; "Those who wish to enter, speak a verse from the Sonnet of Legends." Rachael was a little confused by this. Alucard shook his head in frustration.  
  
"What does it mean?" she asked.  
  
"It's the title of a poetry book that mother wrote. That means we have to go back to the library and find it amongst all the other books!"  
  
Rachael thought for a second, and then smiled.  
  
"No, we don't." Then she removed the book from her backpack. "See? I decided to keep it.... Sorry. I didn't know she was your mother. I guess I should've, what with you two sharing the same last name."  
  
Alucard just motioned for her to read something from it. Seeing this, she quickly went to the front of the door, opened the book, and recited the one about the Crimson stone. Within seconds, the seal vanished, and the door opened.  
  
"Well, it worked." She looked at the book, and sighed. "I suppose you'll want this back."  
  
Alucard walked up to her. "Did you like it that much that you were willing to steal it?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. The Sonnets were so moving, words can't describe their loveliness. She must've been treated very well."  
  
"Indeed. If that is the case, you may keep it."  
  
"R-really? You don't mind?"  
  
Alucard shook his head. "I already have more than one memento of her now. Just promise to treat it with care."  
  
"I will. You can be sure of that. Thank you." Then she put the book inside her backpack. "By the way, will this door become locked again once we enter?"  
  
"No. Once the seal is removed, only the one who cast it can lock it again."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"May I ask why?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. I just might be expecting someone, that's all."  
  
Alucard didn't say anything. He could tell from the look in her eyes that it was someone meaningful to her.  
  
The two then entered the door.  
  
Clock Tower  
  
Rachael looked all around the area. The whole place was filled with sprockets, cogs, and various other things one would find in a giant clock. She also noticed that bottomless pit that resided in the crevices and cliffs of the place. Seeing all this freaked her out a bit.  
  
"Why did all of grandfather's stories have to consist of Clock Towers within the castle? Now that I actually see one with my own eyes, it's pretty frightening!"  
  
"Just don't look down." Alucard answered. A second later, he jumped on one of the spinning cogs. "Hurry up!"  
  
Rachael gulped. She was quite nervous, especially knowing that failure to climb, time a jump, or even stay on even footing can lead to a horrible and painful death. As quickly as she could, she jumped on the same moving cog Alucard was on. She didn't like the feeling that the cog was moving them around and around. This of course, will make further jumping and climbing difficult.  
  
"Just do as I do." He said as he was looking for another gear to jump on.  
  
Rachael looked around nervously. This, in her opinion, had to be the worst part of the castle.  
  
End of chapter 6  
  
Sorry for taking so long to update. I have been really busy and all. I'll once again update sometime in January, since I won't be able to access a computer until then.  
  
Thank you again, everyone, for all the reviews.


	7. A painful choice

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1

A/N: Sorry for taking practically a year to update. By the time I regained my inspiration, it was too far away from October to update. Also, I would've updated days sooner, but schoolwork, plus events in my home, were quite hectic. So here's the 7th chapter. Hopefully, I can finish it by early November, at the latest.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 7

The painful choice

Door to the throne room

After some hectic climbing of cogs and wheels, both Rachael and Alucard finally reached the long hallway to the throne room. Like in her grandfather's stories, the stairs were outdoors, with no kind of railing to them. While catching her breath, she could feel the cold night breeze against her bare legs. It actually felt relieving, since it was quite a workout climbing and jumping throughout that clocktower.

Just as they were about to cross that long flight of stairs, Renon appeared right in front of them. Alucard quickly drew his sword, but Rachael stopped him.

"No, wait!" She quickly said. "He's not the enemy! He helped me get to where I am now."

Still leering at him, the Dhampire sheathed his sword. "So what does he want?"

Renon tipped his hat and gave a small bow. "I thank you for allowing me to speak." Then he turned towards the Belmont. "I believe this tale has finally reached its climax."

Rachael was a bit confused. "I don't know what you mean."

"In short, I have come to take my leave."

This made her eyes widen. "But why? I still need your help."

"There is a war about to begin, and the death of millions is a wonderful business opportunity for me. Besides, I cannot help you any further. My business here is done."

"But what about the bill?"

Renon smiled at this. "Surprisingly, everything is going to be okay. Maybe God 'is' watching over you or something." He looked at the blank stare in her face, and decided to elaborate. "It has to do with the contract. Have you ever tried to read it?"

"No." She answered. "It's written in a language I can't understand."

"The contract, the part that I didn't mention to your grandfather anyways, reads as thus. Whomever borrows more than 50,000 gold automatically forfeits his soul to Satan." He then saw the look of horror on her face, so he quickly finished up. "However, you managed to spend under the amount. You turned out to be more independent than I anticipated, as I had hoped."

Rachael quickly recovered from her shock. "S-so all this time, you were-"

"Planning your demise." He finished. "I didn't anticipate that I would actually grow to like you, though. So I had your grandfather sign the contract just in case you went over the limit. That way, I would take 'his' soul, instead of yours. Now I know that it still sounds wrong, but you must look into a demons perspective in order to fully understand."

"So you weren't lying about being friends?"

"I was at first, but by the time it came to luring you to the castle, I had a change of heart, so to speak. Unlike most demons, I do not profess in lingering with clients for as long as I did. However, I was being paid a lot of gold by another client to keep tabs on you. Fortunately, you didn't fulfill what was required on the contract, and can now keep your grandfathers soul."

"So what will you do now?"

"Like I always do. Find potential business clients, earn gold, and take the souls of those who cannot afford my wares." Then he tipped his hat again. "I bid you farewell. We'll not meet again. Not in your lifetime, anyways." Renon wasn't much for goodbyes. In fact, he never been encountered with one before. So he made one more bow, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Rachael, however, was caught in-between the thoughts of relief and anger. Alucard allowed her a few more seconds to get over it before he patted her on the shoulder.

"We must hurry." He said.

So the two walked that long stairway, and then entered the throne room.

Throne room

Rachael looked around. The design was everything her grandfather had explained it to be. Red carpet leading to the throne, crimson colored drapes, columns about, and of course, the throne itself. However, no one was sitting in it.

"He doesn't seem to be here." Rachael finally said.

Alucard, however, knew that someone was there. "Give it some time."

Seconds later, bright light filled the room. When it cleared, there was someone sitting on the throne. It was a vampire of nobility, and the descriptions were everything that the woman with the curse had described it, from the grey beard, to the long hair, to the very clothing.

"Dracula!" exclaimed Rachael.

"Father, we meet again." Alucard said plainly.

Grinning, the Count examined them from his throne. They looked like they had a lot of trouble getting here, much like he expected.

"Greetings, Belmont." He said. "Hello, son. I didn't expect you to be here. Fortunately, my servant, Joachim, had foretold me of your arrival, as did Death."

"This ends here now, father." Alucard said as he drew his sword.

Dracula, however, frowned at his sons behavior.

"No matter how many centuries have passed, you 'still' refuse to see humans for the vile filth that they are! Of course, this can only be expected from the kind of wretched God they follow."

Rachael almost fumed at hearing what he had said. Not only did he insult humans, but also God.

"Hey, watch it! It's your own fault he's against you, anyways!"

"Still your tongue, human!" he shouted. "Do not speak of things that you do not understand!" Then he pointed to a coffin in the nearby corner. "If your God was so just, why then would he allow me to do this! Come out!"

The coffin shook, and a middle aged man came out of it. Sure enough, he was a vampire, but his features gave away his identity, much to Rachael's horror.

"Dad?!"

"That is correct, Belmont. He fell prey to the darkness, thinking of me as another client, and foolishly entering my castle without preparation. So I turned him into a vampire so that I can show you the futility of your ways."

The vampire then lunged at Rachael. Too shocked at the moment, she didn't move. Alucard noticed this, and sliced the vampire in half. At this, tears started to well up Rachael's eyes.

"He has no longer been your father since the day he turned." Alucard said in order to reassure her. Then he turned to 'his' father. "As for you, the time has come for you to return to the darkness form whence you came!"

At this, the Count grinned. "Not yet, my son. First, I have a battle for you. Look over there." He said as he pointed to another coffin.

When he did, Joachim burst out of it, approached Dracula, and bowed.

"I will always serve you, master."

"Good. Then do so by slaying that Belmont. If my son gets in the way, then so be it."

"I will do as you wish, master." He then readied his swords around him. But instead of lunging them at the Belmont, the lunged one at Dracula, piercing him against the wall.

"What are you doing?!" He shouted.

"Sorry master, but I call the shots now!" Then he used his other swords to slice him into pieces. After that, he turned towards Alucard. "Now that I've finished off your father, allow me to do the same to you two!"

A serious battle ensued. The same lights that glowed in the coliseum were now glowing around the room. Rachael tried to whip him, but the barrier around him protected him from damage.

"We have to destroy the glowing lights, first!" Alucard quickly said.

Rachael nodded, and then tried to whip the lights. However, she and the Dhampire had great trouble doing this, due to the massive rain of swords trying to slice them up. Joachim laughed at each of their failed attempts to reach the lights. Finally, he rushed towards Alucard, as barrage of swords flailing wildly. The Dhampire did what he could do dodge the blades, while Rachael used this moment of distraction to whip one of the lights, shattering it into nothingness.

Hissing, Joachim used his telekinesis to hurl the Belmont across the room. This distraction caused him some vulnerability, and Alucard used that moment to destroy the swords that were hovering around him. Noticing this, he used his telekinesis to stun Alucard, and sped after Rachael. The minute she got up, he tackled her, but she used the crystal to make him back off. He then held her still with his physic power, but then he quickly turned around, only to see that Alucard had broken free, and had already destroyed the balls of lights.

Now being vulnerable, he tried to fly to a safe distance, but Alucard quickly threw his sword through Joachim's chest, piercing him, and sending him against the wall. Seconds later, Rachael broke from the psychic grasp, and readied her whip.

"Go ahead and finish me if you wish." Joachim said. "I might've failed at finding the crimson stone, but now that I killed Dracula, I am now the Lord of this castle, and will return someday!"

Just as Rachael was about to slash him with her whip, Joachim began to scream in pain. His body was now glowing red, and within seconds, he vanished into thin air. The two of them looked upwards, and saw the crimson stone flying above them. Seconds later, Death himself appeared.

"I offer this soul to the one who wields the crimson stone!"

Before they could react, a tanned hand quickly caught the stone, and the owner of the hand sat on the throne, kicking off the corpse before he did. Alucard frowned at the sight of the person. Rachael, however, was horrified.

"H-how could you?!" she exclaimed. "How could you do this to me, Nate?!"

Nate laughed. However it wasn't his laugh. Alucard noticed it right on the spot.

"Father? Is that you?"

Nate nodded. "Indeed it is, my son. What Joachim killed was merely a shadow of my former self. My body is not yet fully restored, and I decided to hide in this human host until the time came when I would let myself be known." Then he turned towards Rachael. "If it's any consolation, he had no idea that I possessed him while he was roaming through my treasure room like a thief in the night."

This was too much to Rachael to bear. She didn't know what to think. Seeing her confusion, Nate, that is Dracula's soul, decided to speak again.

"It's all very confusing, I know. But I needed a few key ingredients for my full resurrection. I needed the soul of a vampire, a vessel to hide myself in, and a Belmont who will give up her oath to hunt the night. That's where 'you' come in. Luring you here through that salesman was easier than I expected."

Frowning and full of anger, Rachael readied her weapon. "I will never do such a thing! First you took away my father, then you kidnapped my brother, then you killed my best friend, and now you took away someone who I might've fallen in love with! Your sins are unforgivable! I'll defeat you as you are!"

Nate laughed again. "Go right ahead. However, I urge you not to. Nate's soul still resides in this body. It's dormant right now. If you kill this vessel, you kill Nate as well."

Hearing this dropped her guard. He saw this, and continued to talk.

"And seeing as how I want this Belmont/Vampire feud to come to an end, I offer his life back in exchange for your vow to never hunt the night."

Alucard quickly picked up his sword. "She will not consider your offer, father! I will destroy your vessel so that you cannot use such a pathetic bargaining chip!"

"I figured as much, son. Fortunately, I've arranged something for you." Then he turned towards Death. "Death, take him away. Make sure he never reaches here ever again."

"It shall be done." Death said as he grabbed an unsuspecting Alucard. They were both quickly teleported to an unknown region of the castle.

Nate looked back at Rachael, who looked like she was ready for battle.

"Like I said before, your God cares nothing for you. Otherwise, he would've never put you in such a situation, nor would he have let your loved ones be hurt this way."

"Shut up!" Shouted Rachael as she used her whip against him.

He quickly dodged, and was in mid air.

"I see you have the stubborn streak of the Belmont blood in you. Fortunately, I have back up." Then he flew towards another coffin, and opened it up. "Look inside."

So she did. And to her shock, was a figure that she never thought she would ever see again. She backed up nervously, not sure what to believe.

"K-k-im?! How could this be?"

At first, she thought that she might've become a vampire, but her skin was still the healthy color that it was.

"She is alright, for now." Nate continued. "However, if you want both her and Nate to stay that way, I suggest you agree to my terms."

"But I left her in the catacombs......"

"In which 'I' rescued her. I knew that she would be of use later on, so I kept her around just in case you refused to make a deal."

Rachael had no idea what to do next. With Alucard gone, who would destroy Dracula? And what would happen to the world if she backed out now? And even if she destroyed Nate, it wouldn't stop Dracula from possessing someone else.

Seeing her confusion increase, Nate spoke again.

"You see, the situation is hopeless. Give up your family oath to hunt the night, and I'll spare all of you. And when I rule this planet, I will be sure to spare you as well."

Rachael still didn't know what to do. She wanted to save her friends, but she didn't want Dracula alive, either. Nate saw her hesitation, and decided to encourage her to make the decision in his favor. He took the sleeping Kim in his arms, and flew out the window, and was floating. Rachael looked out the window, wondering what he was up to.

"Listen, Belmont." He started. "Either you accept my deal, or I stop flying. The fall will kill both Nate 'and' Kim. Now would you want 'that' on your conscience?"

Shocked, she was at a loss for words. Would he really do it? Most likely, and that is what made her more scared.

"I'm waiting." He said.

After several minutes of thinking, she finally spoke.

"Okay, you win. I give up my family oath to hunt the night." She knew that this shown a lack of faith, but she felt like she didn't have any other choice.

Nate flew back through the window, set Kim down, and walked over towards Rachael.

"Then it is agreed." He then produced a chalice in one hand, and a knife in the other. "Now that you have given up your quest, I must now drink a little bit of your blood in order to complete my resurrection. Just a few drops will do."

He then cut her arm, and held it in place. Rachael winced in pain as he let some of her blood into the chalice. He healed her wound, and then held her hand.

"To complete this, you must be in full agreement that my resurrection can go as planned."

Rachael looked at her friends, and then back at the chalice. Softly, and sadly, she spoke. "I agree for your resurrection. I agree that my families hunt for the night will end with me."

Smiling, he set down the chalice, and left Nate's body. Rachael quickly caught him, and watched the following events. Dracula's soul entered the chalice. Seconds later, the ground shook, and a bright light covered the room. When it cleared, she saw that in place of the chalice, stood a young and handsome looking man. He had long brown hair, pale skin and a fancy black robe. On his chest, the crimson stone was in place.

"I thank you, child." He said. "Not only am I at full resurrection, but my youth has returned to me as well. In my true form, I am unstoppable. I will now honor my end of the bargain. I will teleport you and your friends back to your home. Take caution, though. Now that you no longer possess the ability to slay all that is against God, fighting me again will only be your guaranteed doom. So live in my new world at peace, and know that no more harm will come to you or your loved ones."

Although her friends were safe, Rachael felt tired and sad. The feeling that she betrayed her species to save her loved ones ate at her. The Vampire killer, the very same whip that once shined with holy energy, was now a mere relic of the past, its glow very much gone. It had now lost all of its power.

Before she could contemplate any further about what she'd done, Dracula teleported Rachael, Kim, and Nate back to her home. When they were gone, the Count grinned evilly.

"Now nothing can stop me now, not even my own son. That is, if he can ever break free of the bind that Death has him in. And the surprise that I left for that Belmont will further guarantee my victory and reign over this world."

He then sat back on this throne, basking in the victory that was at hand.

End of chapter 7.

It's not over yet! There's still more chapters to cover!

Like I was saying in the beginning of this chapter, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Please review, or send them to 

I hope to hear from you soon.


	8. The darkness Illusions

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 8

The darkness illusions

Rachael's house

Rachael woke up, and saw that she was in her bed. She could barely remember if the night before was just a dream. She looked at herself, and saw that she was wearing her beige colored nightie.

"(Was it all really a dream)?" She asked herself. She looked around her room. Everything appeared to be normal. Her computer was still on its desk, basking its dark glow. It was still on, and all that displayed was the screensaver, with a little ball bouncing back and forth. Her closet was closed, and her pictures seemed to be in the right places. However, it was still dark outside. She assumed that she must've woken up too early, but when she glanced at her clock, she began to worry, for the clock read '8:23 a.m.' She quickly jumped out of bed, and over to the window. It wasn't raining, and it wasn't cloudy, either. If it wasn't for the slight tint of red in the sky, she would've thought it was still night time.

"(So it wasn't a dream. What's going on here)?"

So she walked to her closet to find something to wear. It surprised her to see that her outfit she got from Renon was nicely hanging on a coat hanger. She looked down, and saw the family whip. It was in an open box. It looked so plain now when compared to when she first wielded it, back when it had a dim glow to it. Looking at it brought back the horrible memories of the castle, where she gave in to Dracula's demands in order to save her friends. Now he was going to take over this world, and the suffering inhabitants would have 'her' to thank for that. She let out some tears before kneeling to the ground. She prayed for forgiveness, but felt that she did not deserve it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll be out in a moment!" she quickly said. "Give me some time to get dressed!"

"Okay, Rachael." It was Nate's voice. "We'll be downstairs."

"Rachael looked in closet, and found some black jeans, another pair of open-toed sandals, and a black tank top. She grabbed them, and proceeded to get dressed.

Laboratory

Meanwhile, in the laboratory of Dracula's castle, Alucard was attached to a bed post, with glowing chains that securely kept him at bay, like the ones you would see in a Frankenstein lab. There was also a metallic looking headpiece on his forehead. The machine kept him asleep, so that he wouldn't try to stop his father from plunging the world into darkness, which he already has. All that was needed was to conquer it.

Alucard was being watched by a rather thin looking vampire in a white lab coat. He had a bald head, skin as white as a ghost, his nose was crooked, and his fangs were together, much like that Nosferatu vampire. He was writing on a notepad while he watched the Dhampire slowly toss and turn. He then walked over to the machine that Alucard was attached to, and pushed a few buttons. Looking back at the Halfling, he saw him calm down. Then he sat back down, and continued to take notes.

Suddenly, his vampire senses kicked in, and he quickly stood up and greeted the rather powerful and young looking vampire that appeared behind him. He bowed, showing the utmost respect.

"Master." He started. "It is wonderful to see that your plan has worked."

Dracula didn't say anything, but let the scientist continue with his talking.

"As you can see, this invention that I have created will keep the young master in a deep sleep. At the moment, I have adjusted the wave patterns so that he will be dreaming pleasant dreams. It should be a long time before he can actually break free."

"I see." Dracula finally said. "However, if I wanted my son to live in a fictional world, I would've slain him a long time ago. No, I want him to rekindle his vampiric side, so that he can finally stop this foolish nonsense, and take his rightful place, ruling by my side in this new world of darkness."

"Which reminds me." The scientist added. "The ebony stone is reacting very well to the machine. It had no trouble activating the power it had to bring not only this castle, but the entire world into darkness. Now vampires can freely roam the lands as they please. No human will be safe from your rule!"

"Yes, I have already sent a horde of vampires and demons into the world. They should be able to mix things up for me. The pathetic humans will most likely try to stop them, but without the knowledge on how to kill them, they don't stand a chance. Besides, their number is too few when compared to that of the demons about to terrorize them."

"Yes, it is as you say, master. But what of the other Belmonts? Wouldn't 'they' pose a threat?"

"Not at all. They might be able to defend themselves, but without the legendary whip powered up to its fullest, they won't be able to defeat me! Every Belmont that even tries will meet his doom! They made the grave mistake of entrusting it to an unworthy Belmont, but enough about that." He then turned his attention towards Alucard. "Set the machine to a level that will bring him unpleasant dreams. The succubus should take care of the rest."

"Consider it done, master." He then quickly pushed some more buttons. He looked at Alucard, who was now tossing and turning again.

Seconds later, a stunningly beautiful figure walked in. Her skin, much like the vampires was pale. She had green eyes and flaming red hair. Her garment was a very questionable and revealing leather outfit, each piece fitting tightly around her body. She also wore black laced gloves, black stiletto heels, and see-through stockings. She bowed when she saw her masters' presence.

"It is good to finally see you again, master." She said. "What is it that you would have me do?"

The scientist spoke for him. "The master and I are to go to the throne room to contact the human world leaders. He wants you to sway the young master into coming back to our side. Any means necessary, as long as it doesn't kill him, will suffice."

She then looked at her master, as if the scientist had never spoken to her. "Anything master wants, master gets. Consider it done."

"Good." He finally said. "I will leave you to your work."

Then both the Count and his vampire lackey left the room. The succubus walked towards Alucard, climbed on the bed, and sat on him, her legs adjacent from each of his sides.

"Now then." She said. "Let's first see what you're dreaming about."

Rachael's house

Meanwhile, Rachael had gone downstairs, and had told everybody what had happened. Her mother was in shock. She normally didn't believe in this stuff, but the darkness outside was giving her second thoughts. Her grandfather sighed.

"I know you meant well, Rachael," he said, "but two human lives weren't worth the damnation of the entire human race."

"Hey!" Kim exclaimed.

"It's okay." Said Nate. "I see where he's going with this. Still, what she did came from the heart, and that's all that counts with me."

"That's true."

Rachael's grandfather shook his head. "I know that, Nate, and I know that she feels terrible about this, but now we must think of a way to stop all of this."

"Well, whatever." Kim said, rolling her eyes. "I still think that Rachael did the right thing. If anyone needs me, I'm going back home. My parents are probably worried sick, and I should get going before ol' Drac decides to unleash some of his dark forces on this place." She was being sarcastic, but it only made the old man worry even more. She then shrugged, and left the house in a hurry.

Rachael's grandfather quickly got up. "She's right, about the demons, that is! I better go and purify the house so that no evil can enter it." Then looked at Phillip, Rachael's little brother. "Let's go! I need some help doing this!"

"Yes, gramps." He said, and then hugged Rachael, who was just sitting there, not saying anything. "Thanks for saving me, sis. Without you, I would've been vampire food. And for what it's worth, I still think of you as a hero." Then he rushed off to help his grandfather.

Rachael's mother noticed how troubled her daughter looked. She sat down next to her, and tried to comfort her.

"It's alright, sweetie." She said, hugging her. "If I were in your position, I would've done the same thing. So don't worry about it. We'll find some way to handle this."

"Yeah, what she said." Nate added. "Besides, with that treasure that my squad hauled off, we should have more than enough funding to fight a million demons. We'll use all the conventional means; Holy water, fire, wooden stakes, silver bullets, solar beams, and high powered explosives. Want to join us? I'm sure we could make our way back to Dracula's castle and give you a rematch."

Rachael didn't say a word, but instead, had her head downcast.

"Well, if you change your mind, give me a call. You have my number. In the meantime," He then hugged her. "try to take it easy."

Seconds later, a helicopter could be heard. It was Nate's team. He quickly thanked everybody for the stay, ran outside and to the street, and jumped aboard as it took off into the sky.

Laboratory

Meanwhile, Alucard was having a nightmare. However, he had no idea that he was sleeping. The machine made things seem very real. The last thing he remembered was Death pulling him into some dark realm, and then he blacked out. When he awoke, he saw a village that was friendly towards him. Moments later, demons attacked the village. He was fighting the demons as they tried to attack him. There were so many, though, that he could only defend himself, and the human innocents were being slaughtered. When he saw a young red haired woman in the horizon, it strangely piqued his interest. She was successfully fighting off the demons, making her way towards him. When she got close enough, she talked to him while fighting.

"Need a hand?" she asked.

"If you can afford it."

So they both fought the demons until they finally ran off. After catching their breath, they turned towards each other.

"So who are you, handsome?" she asked.

After a few seconds of silence, he answered. "Alucard."

"Alucard? Well, mine's Morgan. Pleased to meet you."

"Where did you learn to fight so well?"

"I was born from a rough part of the neighborhood, so it kind of came natural. And you?"

"Since I was young, I knew how to fight."

Before their talk to get interesting, several more villagers appeared from houses. They had torches, pitchforks, and shotguns. They surrounded the two.

"They're the ones that cursed our village!" one of them shouted.

"Kill them!" said another.

"Burn them!" another one said.

"Listen, everybody!" Morgan shouted. "We didn't do this! Please listen to us! These demons came out of nowhere! All we did was drive them off!"

"Liar!" one of the said. "Let's kill them now!"

So they rushed in. Alucard jumped on a roof. He was hoping that they would start following him. However, with Morgan still there, and was getting beaten for it. She cried for someone to help her, but the villagers wouldn't listen. Finally, Alucard jumped back into the crowd, grabbed her, and jumped back on the roof. The young woman was trembling in his arms.

"I-I've never b-been so scared in my life." She said. "If I were to attack one, they would think I was evil for sure. I thought I going to die!"

Meanwhile, the villagers were shooting their guns at them. With great pain, Alucard took the shots to his back, protecting Morgan from harm. There was no pause in their gunfire, and the pain was getting worse. Finally, without having another option, he jumped to a tree, still holding the woman. Before the villagers could fire back, all they could see was mist. It traveled towards the villagers, and turned into a bat. This, of course, frightened the villagers.

"It's a vampire!" they shouted. They tried to shoot it, but Alucard reverted back to human form, took out his shield, and blocked the bullets. He bared his fangs at them, and they ran away in terror. Seeing that everything was safe, he went back to Morgan, picked her up, and entered one of the villagers' homes to treat her wounds.

Rachael's house

It was much later in the day, and the house was finally demon proof, so to speak. Electric poles covered the front and back lawns, crosses were on every door in the house, and every wall, door, and window in the house was anointed with olive oil. The family then prayed, but Rachael was far too focused on her thoughts about the events occurring. She wished that she could fix her mistake whilst still saving her friends, but that didn't look like an option. She began to doubt herself, as well as her faith.

A couple of hours later, screams could be heard from outside. They looked out the window to see people running and being killed by demons and vampires that seemed to come from nowhere. Her grandfather looked through the window with slight fear.

"The time has come." He said. "I'm afraid that I have no choice. 'I' must battle with the Count."

Rachael heard this, and grabbed his arm. "No, you mustn't! You're too old to fight him!"

He ignored her, and picked up the whip. It seemed to glow again in his grasp. He then showed it to her. "You see this? If you bring up your faith, you should be able to wield its power once again. However, in order for it to be strong enough to defeat the Count, you're going to have to get rid of every ounce of self doubt you have."

Rachael wasn't sure of what to say. She wanted to believe her grandfather, but he just couldn't understand the situation she was in. How could she forgive herself after what she done? And even 'if' she killed Nate that day, she would've been torn at the fact that she had to kill her friends to do it. What if Dracula was right about God? What if she's been doing all this for nothing? All these doubts and second thoughts were putting her beside herself.

"Well?" her grandfather said. "If you're not going, then 'I' am!"

This made Rachael quickly grab the whip away from him. The glow faded away at her grasp.

"No! I'll go! I'll just have to re-train my faith again, that's all! I don't want you to get killed for something 'I' done!"

Her grandfather smiled. "Well then, grandchild. You better start training right away."

Rachael was now worried. She was actually going to confront Dracula, and get killed for doing it. But something told her that it didn't matter if she died, as long as she tried. In a way, she would be redeeming, as well as punishing, herself. The whip seemed to give off a very faint glow, but then subsided. She then remembered that Kim was in danger, due to all these demons running about. She quickly gave the whip to her grandfather.

"Keep this safe until I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"To help Kim. I let her down once, and I'm not going to do it again!"

She then ran upstairs, grabbed her belt that contained the weapons she found in the castle, and buckled it up. She would've taken the whip as well, instead of giving it to her grandfather, but taking around a weapon you couldn't use what a little pointless. She then ran back downstairs, hugged everybody, and ran out the door. The sensors on the electric poles only stopped demons and vampires, so she was okay.

The demons nearby stopped what they were doing, and looked at her. One of the burly goblins approached her. She had her hand on the bottle of holy water, ready to attack in case it tried to hurt her. The demon examined her, smiled, and then turned towards its demon friends.

"Hey, check this out! It's the human that helped our master!"

The demonic crowd cheered in delight. Rachael, however, only felt worse about it. The demon then turned back in her direction.

"Don't worry, girlie. We won't hurt you, just so long as you don't get in our way. You're like a hero to us, anyways."

The demons cheered again, making her feel much worse. The demon that was talking to her heard another human footstep in the distant horizon.

"Well, duty calls." Then he turned back to Rachael. "Thanks again for helping our master. Just don't try to have any second thoughts, and you shouldn't have any problems with us." Then he walked back towards the other demons. "Let's kill!"

They cheered once more, and went back to terrorizing the streets. Rachael felt like throwing up, but remembered about Kim. She rushed towards her house, hoping that it wasn't too late.

End of chapter 8.

Well, that's the end of this chapter. It looks like I won't be getting this finished by Halloween, but I "should" be able to get this done before mid November.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you as well.


	9. The trap

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 9

The trap

Kim's house

Rachael had just rushed over to her best friends' house as quickly as she could. Although demons and vampires didn't try to stop her, they occasionally glanced at her, already knowing who she was and how she contributed to their success. She had tried to open the door, but noticed that it was locked. She then yelled for her, hoping that she was still alive to respond. Seconds later, Kim opened the door, grabbed Rachael by the collar, pulled her inside, and quickly shut the door, being sure to lock it up again.

Rachael looked around the place. There were no signs of break-in, but everything had been boarded up, and Kim was now putting the furniture in front of the door. She had a look of terror in her face. It seemed quite pale, almost vampiric. Then she saw the glazed look in her eyes, and noticed that she's been in a panic recently. And who could blame her, what with demons and vampires running about.

When she had finished moving the furniture in front of the door, she slowly approached Rachael, wanting to say something.

"Kim?" Rachael decided to be the first to speak. "Are you alright? Where are your parents?"

Kim shook her head, at a loss for words. Finally, she spoke. "My parents......killed.....vampires......" She looked like she had trouble just uttering 'those' words. After giving her a moment of silence to collect herself, she spoke again her head downcast. "I wasn't prepared for this. Even though everything was boarded up, the vampires still managed to enter. I killed them, but it was too late."

Rachael then noticed that the revolver she received from Renon was in her hand. Her finger was still on the trigger. Then Kim continued to speak.

"I held them off, but I couldn't. I want to cry, but I can't." Then she dropped the gun, and dropped to her knees.

Rachael quickly knelt down next to her, and hugged her. She had been through so much in so little time.

"It's okay, Kim." She said. "Everything is going to be alright. Go ahead and let it all out."

"Thank you, Rachael. You're a great friend." She then started to cry, while Rachael continued to hold her.

Unbeknownst to the Belmont descendant, her best friends' tears were composed of small trickles of blood. Her face then turned a bit sour as she felt the items on Rachael's belt start to sting. Without letting go of her, she spoke.

"Um, Rachael? No offense, but those things on your belt are grinding uncomfortably against my stomach. Could you please remove it?"

"Sorry about that." She answered as she was about to get up, but was pulled back, which surprised her. "Kim?"

"I'll do it." She answered. "I feel too scared right now. I don't want to be let go. Not yet, at least."

"Um, okay." Rachael answered. She was a little surprised, and something in the back of her mind was waving red flags. She used her peripheral vision to examine her friends' neck. There were no signs of bite marks, so that lowered her guard.

Kim removed the belt, and tossed it to the side. She then began to cry a little louder. Rachael continued to comfort her, still unknowing of the small trail of bloody tears that were now present on her friends face. Kim looked at her friends' neck, and could practically hear the calm beating of her pulse. She then grinned, and fangs displayed themselves when she slightly opened her mouth. Finally, without warning, she used her fangs to pierce her friends' neck. Rachael screamed in pain, and tried to jump away, but Kim's grip was vice-like now. She then proceeded to drink some of the fresh blood.

However, seconds later, she was pushed back by a punch in her stomach, causing her to spew the blood she already had in her mouth. Rachael then kicked her friend away, and backed up, holding her neck, staring in shock.

Quickly recovering, Kim stood up, and looked at the newfound fear in her best friends' eyes. She wiped the blood from her eyes and mouth, and smiled. It wasn't her normal friendly smile, but a sinister one that shown her enjoyment to the taste of blood.

"What's the matter?" She asked mockingly. "I thought you wanted to become a vampire. Isn't that why you chose to let the master win?" she then looked at the confusion in her eyes. "Well I suppose I 'did' put up a pretty good performance. I tell you; it's not easy to pretend to be unconscious when you're being dragged all over the place."

She examined Rachael's face. She could see the realization finally dawning on her. Smiling, she continued.

"I bet you're wondering why it was that you didn't see any bite marks on my neck, or why I had such a healthy complexion. Well, a little make up took care of the complexion, and as far as the bite mark goes......" She then raised up her shirt and turned to her side so that Rachael could see that bite mark that was on her side. "Let's just say that Dracula doesn't always bite his victims on the neck."

Enjoying her look of horror, she continued to poke at her. "Isn't it ironic that you gave up your power to save me and that human of yours, only to find out that you were once again too late? Like back in the catacombs? Does that sound familiar?"

Shaking off the shock, Rachael finally spoke. "H-how could you?!" It was a bit difficult to speak when pain shot from her neck whenever she did so. "How could you trick me like that?!"

"It was quite easy, really. You see, after you abandoned me in the catacombs, Dracula, my new master, saved me from being crushed."

"I tried to save you, but—"

"Try-try-try. That's all you humans ever do. But don't worry, honey. I'm not mad at you."

Rachael looked at her quizzically. "What?"

"I mean, how could I? You're my friend. Besides, the Count showed me that survival of the fittest is the only way to survive in this world. You were only doing what comes natural. Sure, I was angry when he said that you left me behind, but not after that night. He turned me into a vampire, promising that you will see the error of your ways, as well as every other human on the planet. So in a way, you have yourself to thank for my abandoning humanity."

Rachael shook her head. "No, Kim! I wanted to save you, I really did! I panicked, and brought my brother and me to safety. I'm sorry. I thought I didn't have enough time."

"And you are absolutely right, which is why I'm not mad at you. Besides, now that I'm a vampire, those petty qualms about loyalty and betrayal are now gone."

Rachael glared at Kim. "So why did you do this? If not for revenge, then why?"

Kim shrugged. "I don't remember why my human side felt so angry, but my new vampire side has a very good reason."

"And that is?"

Kim smiled again. However, it was a smile that made Rachael feel very uncomfortable. She then tried to lunge for her belt, but Kim noticed this and kicked it away, which landed in the next room. She tried to go after it, but was pinned down on her back by the vampire. She tried to struggle, but without her power to hunt the night, her strength was no match for Kim's vampiric strength.

"Maybe 'now' you'll listen!" she exclaimed. "Originally, my master told me to kill you when you weren't looking, which would've been easy, given your gullibility and innocence. However, the bit of humanity in me must've remained, and blended in with my new self. So instead of feeling hate or remorse for you, I began to feel a certain attraction towards you, and a good body would've been a terrible thing to waste."

Upon hearing this, she began to struggle even more. Kim just laughed.

"What's the matter, honey? Afraid of trying new things? It should be expected of a human, though, especially one that tries to play the role of a goody two shoes. You should feel honored that your friend asked the master to spare you."

"You're no longer a friend." Rachael muttered. "You were no longer the person I knew the minute you turned."

Hearing this, Kim frowned. "Oh? So just because I'm now a vampire, that gives you the right to act like you're better than me? Look around you! Darkness has won! You yourself have helped with that!"

However, Rachael continued to glare. Kim looked into her hate filled eyes, and grinned.

"Ah, I see. So you 'do' have eyes set for that Nate fellow. As a vampire, you can have him, you know. Just know that you're mine, first."

Then, without warning, she kissed her deeply. Rachael kept her mouth tightly shut the entire time, wanting to gag in process. When it was over, she spat in the vampires face. Angered and embarrassed, Kim picked up Rachael, and threw her against the wall. When she hit the wall, she quickly pushed her down on the floor again.

"Don't ever do that!" she shouted as she wiped the spit from her face. "Humanity lost, so just give up whatever hope you have! I was kind enough to grant you acceptance into my master's new world, and you had better start acting grateful!"

Rachael slowly stood up, and got into a fighting stance. She knew that she was going to have to reach for the other room, no matter what. Kim looked at the fiery determination in her eyes, and laughed.

"So no matter what happened, you still have a bit of faith. Well then. Perhaps it's time to put some more realization in you."

It was true. She 'did' regain some of her faith. She knew that, although she might've made a past mistake, she knew that in some small way, that she can put her friend to rest. So that the vampire that invaded her body will be destroyed, and Kim's soul could be saved.

She waited for Kim to make a move. When she did, she quickly tackled her, so that both of them could fall on the nearby table, breaking it into pieces. She then grabbed one of the legs, which was now broken into a point, and tried to drive it through Kim's heart. Kim dodged, grabbed the arm that was holding it, and twisted her arm until she let it go. Then she kicked the table leg to the corner. She waved a finger of disapproval, and then punched Rachael in the chest, almost knocking the wind out of her.

Rachael fell to the ground, clutching her stomach, coughing and crying out in pain. Kim walked behind her, rolled her on her stomach, and sat on her.

"So what now, honey? Do you have enough faith in your God to save you from me? Face reality! If He was ever listening to you, you wouldn't be in the position you are now. Sure, you were a nice tool for Him, but it looks like you must've outlived your usefulness. If only you still had your power, huh."

She looked over her shoulder for an answer, but none was given.

"What? No witty remark? No silly after school message? Now that I'm finally getting somewhere with you, let me help it along. God is 'not' going to save you. You realize that, right?"

Rachael just glared at her. Kim laughed.

"You mean that even 'now', after all you've been through, that some miracle will magically happen to save you? Do I have to prove it to you?" She thought about that question for a minute, and then spoke again with a seductive grin. "I'll tell you what. If God is still with you, then that means that He'll find some way to kill me in order to keep you from becoming a vampire, since that's now the only way to keep you from turning."

As expected, Rachael still glared. Kim then got up, kicked Rachael in the spine to keep her from trying to fight back, rolled her on her back, and sat back down on her.

"And to get rid of any further hope you still have, let's make things more interesting. If God really 'is' going to save you, then He'll also keep me from having my way with you. So, you ready?"

Terrified, Rachael started to pray. Kim frowned, and slapped her.

"None of that, you hear! I'll not have my ears in pain, unless it's from your screaming."

However, there was a pounding on the door. Kim quickly looked up. She assumed it was just demons trying to get in.

"Go away, I'm busy!" She shouted.

However, the door continued to pound. She sighed in frustration.

"And here I thought that I was going to have you all to myself. Oh well. They'll just have to accept the fact that I'll go first. Wait here."

She then grabbed the revolver that was nearby, and hit Rachael on the head with it, rendering her unconscious. Sighing, she walked up to the door, and removed the furniture from the door. She looked in the peek hole to see what exactly it was. To her surprise it was a little Familiar. A Fairy Familiar, to be exact. So she opened the door, grabbed the familiar, pulled her in, and tried to close the door.

However, an unknown force pushed the door open, and a bright flash of light filled the room. It stung her eyes so much, that she was screaming in pain. She quickly rushed away from the door. When the light cleared, she was horrified at what she saw. It was Nate, and he was carrying something that looked like a grenade launcher.

"Like it?" Nate said. "This little Fairy came to me while I was planning a way to fight these demons, and told us about how she found out about your master's little trap. So we got here as quick as we could. However, when we reached Rachael's house, it was too late. So we interrogated a demon until he told us where Rachael might've been."

"But how did Alucard's Familiar get here?!"

"Good question. One that I'll find out later." He looked around, and saw Rachael. Pointing the launcher at Kim, he slowly made his way to the fallen Belmont. However, when he lowered down to check if she was alright, Kim snatched the launcher from him, and destroyed it. Nate shook his head. "You know, they're right when they say that people who become vampires eventually lose whatever humanity they had. You look like one of those."

Kim hissed at him, and prepared for a battle stance. Nate, however, grinned as he pulled out two Uzi's from his coat.

"Not so fast, girl."

Kim laughed at the pathetic weapons, and lunged at him. Nate shot several of them into her. She screamed in pain as the bullets were deteriorating her.

"Silver bullets." Nate added. "And with a touch of garlic, just in case. This isn't the first time I've gunned down a vampire before."

As she was dying, she spoke. However, her voice was that of a calm and relieved one. "Thank....you......and tell......Rachael..........sorry." And that was it. Her body was no more.

Nate nodded. She was a nice girl, and was a bit saddened to see her go like that, but at least she left in a peaceful state. She checked to see if Rachael was okay. Fortunately, she was just unconscious. He put his guns away, picked her up, and took her home. The Fairy also took hold of the belt that was in the next room. She might've missed it if she wasn't trying to back away from Kim at the time.

Rachael's house

The demons gave him some trouble, but he finally brought her home. The Fairy Familiar healed all of Rachael's wounds. About an hour or so later, she awoke. She was surprised to see that she was back home. She saw Nate, and tears welled up in her eyes. He smiled back, and she hugged him tightly. She was glad that her prayers were answered.

Nate told her all what happened when she left, and what Kim's dying words were. After crying for a long time, she went to her room. Everyone thought it was best to leave her alone for a while. While they were waiting, Nate turned to the Fairy.

"So what brought you here, anyways? I heard that you're always hanging out with that Dhampire."

"Yes, I do." She said. "However, his father is trying to drain him of his human side through deception and machinery. I was able to escape unnoticed, so I hitched a ride from one of your treasure carrying vessels. I used my magic to speed up its delivery as well. When I saw you arrive, I flew out of my hiding place to warn you. However, you seemed a little too scared of me to notice, so I told you about the trick my master's father set for your friend. I figured that you'll listen afterwards."

"Well, it worked." He finally said. "And I'll be glad to help. However, I'm not sure about the whole fighting Dracula, though. It just seems like I can't do it, no matter how powerful my technology."

Suddenly, Rachael's bedroom door could be heard opening and closing. Everyone turned to the direction of the sound. It definitely was Rachael, but she was now wearing the outfit that she had received from Renon. She also had the belt equipped, and backpack on. She walked up to them, a new glint of hope in her eyes.

"I'll go." She said. "It's the least I can do to make up for the damage I've caused, as well as get that bastard back for what he did to Kim!"

Smiling, her grandfather extended the Vampire Killer to her.

"Then you'll be needing this." He said. "Use it well."

She was about to grab it, but then he pulled away.

"But you have to have a clear head and a high amount of faith before you do. Otherwise, you might not win."

"Yeah, I know." Said Rachael as she took the whip. However, she wasn't really listening. Her anger and hate towards Dracula was overwhelming. She could feel the power of the Vampire Killer rushing back into her. Apparently, her anger and determination was enough to allow her to use the whip again, as well as her inherited power. She hoped that it would be enough to slay the Count once and for all, and put an end to the suffering he has caused her. She equipped the Vampire Killer on her belt, and almost bolted out the door. However, Nate grabbed her arm.

"Hold on." He said. "You don't just plan on walking there, are you?"

"Then do you plan on taking me? I can't teleport there. Renon must've only let me 'borrow' that transporter thing. It wasn't in my backpack when I searched for it!"

Nate nodded. "Indeed I do. I'll also support you in any way I can while you're there."

Rachael smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Nate. But if you want to help, please stay away from Dracula. I've suffered enough pain because of him!"

"Okay, I will, just as long as you promise to come back alive."

She smiled at this. "I'll do my best. And thank you, Nate."

Blushing for a second, she walked closer to him, and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, Nate, for everything." Then she quickly walked out the door, slaying surprised demons along the way. Nate and the Fairy Familiar quickly caught up to her, and they both went to Nate's headquarters in order to take a plane to Romania.

End of chapter 9.

Well, that's another chapter. Sorry about not showing Alucard in this chapter. To make up for that, I'm going to dedicate the entire chapter 10 on him.

Once again, thank you for sending your feedback. I look forward to hearing more of it, and I hope everyone had a great Halloween (if you celebrate it :P).


	10. The dream world

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 10

The Dream World

Dream World: Village

During the time that Rachael had been at home, Alucard had gotten to know a bit more about Morgan, the mysterious woman who he encountered during a demon attack on the village. She was passing through, when the demons attacked. She said that she didn't expect the villagers to still be so superstitious of her strength. When he treated her wounds, he left towards his father's castle. However, Morgan rushed towards him while he was leaving.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "Where are you going?"

He answered without looking back. "I'm going to the castle nearby."

"You mean Dracula's castle? Why there?"

"I'm going to kill him." Then he exited out the door.

Morgan quickly ran in front of him.

"Then I'll help you. It's the least I can do to repay you for helping me."

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again.

"I can't guarantee your safety. You follow me at your own risk."

"I'm willing to take that risk. Besides, it looks like those villagers wouldn't like me around here, anyways."

Without saying another word, they left for the castle.

Later

After a long walk, they finally entered the castle. It was dark and quiet. For some reason, they weren't greeted by a horde of demons. The Dhampire felt certain uneasiness about the silence that filled the room. He looked around. The room seemed to have a monochromatic color to it. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all gray. The only color was the red carpet, and the lights that dimly illuminated the hallway.

"It's kind of creepy in here." Morgan said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Alucard didn't respond. Instead, he proceeded to the door that led to the clock tower, which would eventually lead him to the throne room. Morgan quickly followed. Just as he was about to open the door, he sensed a presence enter the room. He turned directly behind him. To his surprise, it was Rachael Belmont, followed by a group of humans. Judging by their attire, they looked like vampire hunters.

"Who is she?" Morgan asked. "And who are they?"

Alucard took a few steps forward. "What are you doing here? Did the battle against my father not go so well?"

Rachael shook her head, grinning. "He got away. However, I know of a way to lure him out, so I found these hunters to help me do it."

Alucard looked at her narrowly. "What are you planning, Belmont?"

She then readied her whip. "To kill his son, of course. What better way to drag out the parent than to put their child in danger?"

Morgan looked at Alucard. "Wait a minute! You mean 'Dracula' is your father? And you're siding with someone who's going to use you as bait? Why?"

"Good question." He answered, his eyes never leaving the Belmont. "So tell me, Belmont. Do you plan to use me as live bait?"

"Well, I considered it, but then I realized that my clan plans to kill all related to the vampire anyways, so it'll be easier to just kill you. That way, the bloodline can end quicker."

The Dhampire held his hand on the hilt of his sword. Rachael raised her free hand, and the hunters quickly raised their guns.

"Not so fast, Dhampire. Aren't you forgetting your vow not kill humans? It's not as if we're working for your father, far from it. We just want to insure that he'll have no means of returning, and luring him out will be the key."

"You speak foolishly, human. Although the Belmont clan hunts the night, your methods are incorrect. Although part of me is a vampire, the other is still human."

Rachael laughed, as well as the group of hunters.

"Do you really believe that? No matter how much humanity you have in you, your blood is still cursed. That's reason enough to slay you."

This was a surprise the Alucard. When he first encountered Rachael in the castle, she was nothing like this. For some reason, his senses weren't telling him anything, either. Suddenly, one of the hunters shot at him. He quickly blocked the shell with his shield. Rachael motioned for him to look at the shield. When he did, he smelled something familiar.

"Silver."

"That's correct." Rachael said. "Now, prepare to die!"

That's when the hunters fired. He grabbed Morgan and jumped away, dodging the shells the headed in his direction.

"Just make it easier on yourself, Dhampire!" Rachael shouted at him. "The only other way is to kill us, and in doing so, you'll ruin any chances of humanity prospering!"

She was right. Killing the chosen Belmont descendent would bring the world into total darkness. At least, until another Belmont was of age. However, if he killed these people, he would be labeled as an ally of darkness, something that he was already having trouble with.

Fortunately, a pause came when they ran out of shells, and were reloading. He put Morgan down, rushed at one of them, and knocked him out with his shield. When he rushed at another, Rachael struck him with her whip, causing him to back off in pain. He unsheathed his sword.

"I do not wish to fight with you. If it's my father you want, I'll be glad to help. However, I won't just sit here and die!"

"Fine by me, just as long as you're dead." She tried to whip him, but he dodged.

Unfortunately, a silver shell hit him in the back. He staggered, but managed to regain his posture. Another hunter shot him in the leg, causing him to fall to his knees. Rachael readied her whip.

"Now that's the way I like seeing you filthy creatures! You're lucky that your human side is keeping those shells from instantly killing you. I suppose you have your father's powerful genes to help with that as well. Too bad it won't mean anything in the end. So, any last words?"

"Yes. By doing this, you have become just like the humans that father hates. You Belmont's should've known better than that."

"What can I say? Time's have changed." She then raised her whip, and was about to strike.

However, Morgan ran in between them.

"Stop! Don't do this!"

Rachael lowered her whip. "Why not? You don't look like a vampire to me."

"Please reconsider doing this. Although I've only known this man for a short time, he's proven himself to be a kind person. He even saved me when the villagers attacked me for having special power. You of all people should know how that feels."

Rachael nodded. "Sadly, I do. Humans fear what they don't understand, and what they don't understand, they kill." Then she raised her whip again. "That is why I must put an end to their fear! Even if he 'is' a benevolent person, his bloodline will eventually consume him, and I can't take that risk!"

"So are you saying that all humans should only accept humans, no matter what the circumstances? I know that vampires are evil, but Alucard is not just a vampire! He has a human side, one that he apparently fights to keep with each passing day! Do you see a vampire killing their own kind just because they associate with humans? Do you see a vampire killing when it isn't necessary? No! Humans do 'all' of these things, yet scold those who don't! And still, you keep preaching about how to do good for others. You hypocrites! 'You' should be the ones hunted down and killed!"

Rachael shook her head, and then swung her whip in Morgan's direction, causing her to back away. "I should've known that you were one of those vampire lovers. Don't you realize that you side with those who hunt us for food?! Yes, I know that humans can be hypocritical at times. However, we do what we can in order to protect our species, much like your vampire acquaintances do what 'they' have to do in order to protect 'their' species! So you see, the vampire and human can never get along. One's like that Dhampire are just mere accidents, whose daily struggles in life are a constant reminder of that. So in a sense, killing him will bring his human side much needed relief, as well as bring an end to his destructive vampire nature."

Morgan helped the slowly healing Dhampire to his feet. "If that's the case, then go ahead and label me as a traitor! Like I said before, this man has proven himself to be human enough, and if humans can't accept that, then maybe he shouldn't bother with you!"

Now angry, Rachael whipped her, causing her to stumble.

"If that's your decision, then you'll die with him! Hunters, attack!"

Morgan tried to fight them off, but they eventually subdued her. She still refused to kill them, though. Alucard swung his sword at the hunter that was holding her, but he stopped mid range when he pointed the gun at her chest. Rachael walked over to him, pulled the sword away from him, and then held the sword up to Morgan's throat.

"You see, this is what I mean. You Dhampire's are confused creatures. Neither a human nor a vampire would've given in so easily to a hostage situation unless they were a weakling. Allow me to show you the error of your ways." She then pierced Morgan through her chest. The hunter let her go, as not to be stabbed along with her. She fell to the ground. Alucard rushed up to her, and kneeled down.

"Why did you stick up for me like that?"

"Because these humans were wrong about you." Then she coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. "Please, do me this one favor, though."

Alucard nodded.

"A-avenge me. B-break your o-oath ju-st th-this once." A second later, her life left her body.

Alucard stood up, and glared at the humans. "Your ignorance has caused yet another innocent life to be taken. Although I still won't fight you, I'll take my leave." Then he turned around and went towards the door.

He quickly dodged the whip that was headed in his direction. He rushed back at them, grabbed his sword, and took a battle stance. Anger was in his eyes, and his fangs were bearing.

"Don't make me kill you!"

"Go ahead and try it, if you can."

The hunters shot at him, but he quickly dodged. In a mad rage, he transformed into a cloud of mist. They still shot at him, but to no avail. Suddenly, he reformed behind one of them, and ran his sword through one of the hunter's chest. Then he threw his lifeless body at another hunter, and shot a trail of fireballs from his cloak, burning both bodies.

Laboratory

Meanwhile, the Succubus, now recognized as Morgan, remained straddled against him, continuing to deceive him through his dreams. The scientist was now back from his errand with Dracula, and was watching the event, all the while taking notes. He didn't speak with Morgan, for he knew that she needed full concentration on her task, since the son of their master had a strong spirit to break.

While he was watching, Cecilia stepped inside the lab. She had her hands behind her back. The scientist looked in her direction.

"Please don't come in here, miss." He said. "We are very busy with our master's project, and we can't have any distractions."

"I apologize, sir." She said. "However, I bring the most urgent news. The master wishes to see you. He wanted me to escort you."

"Really? Then why didn't he come himself?"

"You dare to question the master's orders?"

The scientists quickly shook his head. "No, of course not! Lead the way."

So she backed away into the hallway. When they were both out of earshot, the scientist noticed something strange about her.

"What is that you have behind your back?"

"Oh, this?" She then pulled out a wooden stake. "I found it this morning. I fear that the Belmont has returned."

The scientist eyed her narrowly. "So you say." He was about to back away, but then she extended it to him.

"If you do not trust me, then take it."

Slowly, he approached her. Just as he was about to grab it, she lunged forward, piercing him in the heart. She made herself fall forward in order to put more foundation into his heart. She also held his lips shut, so his cries of pain would be reduced. When he finally died, she got up, and quietly walked into the laboratory. She looked at the scientist's notes, and skimmed through them, being as quiet as she could, as not to disturb the Succubus. She then sat down on the corner of the floor, and began to meditate. She planned to free Alucard from his mental prison, so he could finally destroy the Count, and bring an end to her suffering.

Dream World

Meanwhile, Alucard had successfully killed all the hunters. Only the Belmont remained. Surprisingly, she put up quite a fight. Every time he tried to stab her, she was able to dodge, and counter with her whip. Fortunately, every time 'she' tried to whip him, he was also able to counter. After a while, they both backed away from each other, panting. When they caught their breath, Rachael was the first to speak.

"Wow. You're just as strong as the stories that were written about you!"

"I must also give you credit. You didn't appear to be this strong."

"Well, that's what you get for underestimating me. However, you have yet to see my 'true' power! Prepare to die, monster!"

Alucard tried to rush at her, but he was pushed back by a surge of blue fire. Sure enough, Rachael had somehow learned to harness her bottle of Holy water, and make it into a powerful weapon. He then jumped over the flames, and managed to strike her on her chest. Holding back the pain, she backed away.

"Hydro storm!"

Suddenly, the room was now raining of the dangerous water. The pain was intense, so he quickly turned into mist form, when the rain cleared, he rushed at her again. She used her whip to strike him, but he used his arm to wrap it around him. Since he was only half vampire, it didn't sting him as much. With all of his might, he swung the whip away from the Belmont's grasp. He then threw the whip behind him, raised his sword again, and knocked her on the ground with its hilt. He then held his sword to her throat. Every urge inside him was telling him to kill her, but he was trying to resist.

However, Rachael egged him on. "What's the matter, freak? Too weak-minded to finish me off? Just a bit of warning; if you don't kill me, I'll not only kill you, but everyone you know!"

"Then you leave me no choice!"

Just as he was about to kill her, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Stop!"

Alucard quickly turned around. To his surprise was Cecilia.

"Don't kill her! It's a trap created by your father to destroy your humanity!"

He looked at Rachael, and then at Cecilia. He began to calm down. Somehow, he got a look at his reflection from his mother's sword. He was shocked to see his vampiric self shining ever so brightly, eyes glowing and fangs bearing. Cecilia was right. He 'was' losing his humanity! He got off of Rachael, sheathed his sword, and picked her up.

"The day will come when my life will be taken. However, it will be on my own terms. Now go!" He then threw her across the room.

Cecilia ran to him and hugged him.

"I'm so glad I made it on time!"

"Thank you. If it wasn't for you, I almost would have fallen for my father's trap."

"Alucard, there is something else I need to tell you. This world, none of it is real. It's a trick manifested by some strange machine. You need to—"

Unfortunately, a huge blast separated the two. Alucard looked at the direction of the blast, and saw Morgan, her hands reached out.

"Just as I figured. Who are you?!"

Morgan laughed as a bright light surrounded her, engulfing her. When it cleared, she was revealed in her original form.

"That's the second time a Succubus has pulled the wool over your eyes, young one."

Alucard drew his sword. "I will destroy you here and now, demon!"

"Ah, yes, the expected battle. Sorry, but I don't wish to fight you. Instead, have a seat."

Her wings spread, and the points on her wings shot into the ground, causing an earthquake. Then, she duplicated herself until she was five of the same demon. The five surrounded him, and one of them grabbed Cecila, and broke her neck, which made her instantly vanish.

"Now that that meddlesome bitch has been taken care of in this world, I need to finish her off in the next. Until then, darling, stick around."

At this, she vanished, but the other Succubi rushed towards him.

Laboratory

Morgan awoke from her trance, and gently removed herself from the position she was in. She looked over at Cecilia, who had her knife ready.

"So I see that you have not yet fully accepted your vampirism. It doesn't matter, though. When the master finds out about this, he'll make sure you pay for it."

"You mean 'if' he finds out!"

At this, Morgan laughed. "So you actually think that you can kill me? Don't you realize that I'm one of the master's highly appointed demons?"

"Yeah, I knew that you were his bitch."

"That may be, but it comes with its rewards, such as having power and freedom, as well as the power to make bitches out of others, including you."

"Shut up! I never gave you that chance!"

"Yeah, as long as you stayed in the cathedral. Otherwise, I waited until you fell asleep. After all, I 'am' a Succubus."

"Then die for your perversion!" She then tackled the demon, and stabbed the dagger into her chest.

Morgan winced in pain, but then started laughing.

"Like I said, you can't kill me. Your weapon is just as unholy as mine. And speaking of which, check this out!"

With a psychic blast, she shot Cecilia against the wall, and the weapon to fall next to her. Then using the needle-points of her wings, she pierced her target against the wall. She pierced Cecilia's arms, legs, and torso. Then, with the wings still pierced, she walked over to her victim.

"Aw, does it hurt? Does it make you bleed?" She then put her face up to one of her wounds, and licked the blood off. "Mm. Vampire blood tastes almost as good as human blood. What say we have another taste?"

The Succubus noticed her glare. It was as icy and hate filled.

"You know, it's not nice to stare at people like that." Then she raised one of her hands, which extended into a claw. "Maybe you should spend some time as a blind woman." She then held the tips of her claw close to Cecilia's eyes, relishing her terror stricken expressions. "Don't worry, dear. You're a vampire. It'll grow back. That is, unless I eat them. But don't you worry your pretty little head. I won't cause you 'that' much pain. It wouldn't be that much fun."

So she extended her claws, moved her arm back, and struck. However, she stopped just centimeters from Cecilia's eyes, gulping down some blood that trailed off from her mouth. She turned her head, and saw Alucard. He had broken from his bonds, and now had his sword pierced through her heart.

"A-alucard....please....have mercy!"

"Return to hell from whence you came, demon! I banish you!"

Then, with one smooth motion, he raised his blade in the air, slicing the Succubus upward. Then he brought the blade down, completely slicing her in a vertical direction. Her body burned until there was nothing but ash. This, of course, caused Cecilia to fall from where she was hanging. Alucard quickly caught her.

"Thank you." She said.

"No, thank you."

"Are you, alright?"

"Yes. How about you?"

"I've had better days, but my wounds will heal."

So Alucard helped her up, and the two walked out of the laboratory.

Later

Eventually, they reached the main hall of the castle. Alucard turned towards Cecilia.

"I must go. Stay here for the time being."

"Yes. Just please come back alive. Otherwise, all that I've done for you will be for nothing."

"Indeed."

As he was about to leave, she called him again.

"Alucard?"

He turned around.

"What?"

".....Well, I.....never mind. Good luck."

He noticed that there was something she really wanted to say. However, there was no time to find out. His father has already filled the world in darkness, and he must put a stop to it. He opened the center door, and entered into the clock tower.

Clock Tower

However, as soon as he jumped on the first platform, something caught his senses.

"Show yourself!"

Immediately, the familiar face of Death greeted him above the clock tower, scythe in hand.

"Alucard. You should not be here. I don't know how you broke from your prison, but I will give you one last warning. Leave this place at once!"

"I will not!"

"Then you leave me no choice. As much as it will pain my master, I must put an end to your pitiful life." Then he lowered himself down to the Dhampire's level ground. "By the power vested in the darkness, I now condemn your soul to an eternity of Hell! Prepare for your suffering!"

Alucard unsheathed his sword, ready for battle.

End of chapter 10

Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you.


	11. Delayed

Disclaimer: Look for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 11

Delayed

Dracula's castle: Entrance

Nate flew the jet to the castle, taking the extra precaution to land it in a safe distance. He remembered back earlier when Rachael suddenly kissed him the way she did. He was surprised, and wasn't sure what brought it up, but he wasn't about to let the opportune moment pass by. He thought it best not to look surprised, lest she discover that this was his first real kiss. As soon as she wasn't looking, though, he put on a big grin.

After they landed, Rachael exited from the flying machine. The Fairy Familiar followed as well.

"I'll wait here for you." Nate told her. "Stay alive until then."

"Okay. You do the same." She answered.

Just as she was about to enter the castle gates, which were open for some reason, Nate called back to her.

"Rachael!"

"Yeah?"

"Take this." He said as he threw her a communicator. "Let me know if you need any help, okay?"

"Okay." She said as she put the device in her backpack. "And Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not freaking out when I kissed you. I needed to let that out of my system." She was telling the truth, since she always wanted to do that to him. However, she didn't mention the part about wanting to change that disgusting memory of that vampire's kiss from her mind.

"No problem." He answered. "But don't be surprised if I decide to return the favor."

Rachael giggled, smiled, and then rushed over to the castle.

Entrance

When she finally reached the entrance, she looked around. She could've sworn that somebody was just here a minute ago.

"It smells like a vampire was here recently." The Fairy said. "But that could've been anyone in this castle. I suggest we don't worry about it. Right now, we need to help my master!"

Rachael nodded, and then looked at the doors. She knew that one of them held what they were looking for. However, a loud noise could be heard from the center door. The two rushed over to investigate.

Clock Tower

To their surprise, they saw Alucard jumping from platform to cogwheel, and vice-versa. He was in a fierce battle with the Grim Reaper, also known as Death. Unfortunately, the undead friend of Dracula seemed to have the upper hand at the moment. Alucard was barely dodging the huge scythe, and every time he tried to strike, Death would quickly fly out of range. In addition, every time he tried to jump towards him, he would have to quickly take cover, since his attack was always answered with a barrage of sickles.

The Fairy turned towards Rachael, her eyes widened.

"We have to help him!" Then she flew in front of the Grim Reaper in order to distract him.

As much as Rachael hated this part of the castle, she knew that her help was needed. So she jumped on one of the cog wheels. When she regained her balance, she took out the enchanted cross from her belt. She took careful aim, and then threw it.

Unfortunately, Death saw it at the last second, and used a few sickles as a shield in order to protect himself. The cross returned to Rachael, in which she put it back on her belt.

"I see there's more company." He said. He then noticed who the intruder was. "Ah, I remember you. You are the Belmont that was tricked into aiding our master. I give you my thanks."

"Save it!" She exclaimed. "I've come back to clean up this mess I made, starting with you!"

Death laughed at her statement. "You amuse me, Belmont. However, as much fun as killing you both at once might be, I'm afraid that I must keep this fight a fair one." Then he dodged another one of Alucard's swings. "So here's something to keep you busy!"

He then flew very much out of range, raised his scythe, and swung it around in circles. This confused everyone until the room began to shake. Rachael looked down, and noticed a strange glowing pentagram beneath her. When its glow started to get brighter, she quickly jumped onto the next platform. She was wise to do so, for the second her feet left the ground, an enormous red Angler fish emerged from the evil symbol. It flew around the clock tower as if it were swimming in water. Death pointed at Rachael, and the fish flew in her direction.

She quickly jumped onto the next platform, barely dodging it as it crashed into her previous spot, destroying it on impact. She used her whip against the creature, successfully destroying its left fin. It then turned around, and swooped at her again. This time, however, it crashed into the platform she was on, rather than directly at her. Rachael partially fell, but grabbed onto the giant fish before she could fall completely.

The angler was now in a mad frenzy as it was now crashing into many things, trying to shake the Belmont off. Meanwhile, Alucard still tried to strike Death, who kept going in high and low directions around the area, being sure to stay out of range, and using his many sickles as a shield. Frustrated, Alucard summoned his bat Familiar. He then transformed into a bat, which multiplied the number of bat Familiars. They flew at Death in many directions, making sure to keep him well distracted, whilst dodging the barrage of sickles.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Familiar noticed this, and flew at Rachael, who was having a hard time staying on the fish.

"Rachael! My master has successfully distracted Death. Hang on, and guide this creature towards him. I'll act as a lure."

Before Rachael could respond, the Fairy already flew in front of the fish's face, and was flying towards Death. The fish, looking at her as food, forgot about the parasite on his back, and immediately flew towards her. Rachael readied her whip, making sure to remain balanced on the fish. When it finally reached its unintentional target, it lunged for the Fairy, who successfully got out of the way. Alucard, as well as the bats, made sure to do the same. Death saw it coming, and readied his scythe. However, Rachael used her whip to knock it from his grasp. At that moment, the giant fish accidentally tackled him, causing both of them to crash into some more cog wheels. Unfortunately, Rachael lost grip, and was now falling. The bats quickly caught her, and set her down on one of the remaining platforms.

After a few seconds of silence, Alucard reverted back to his original form, and summoned his Demon Familiar.

"See if he's still among us."

"I'll be right back, master."

So he went to investigate. He looked around the rubble for a few seconds, and raced back to his master.

"He's still there!"

Suddenly, Death flew out of the rubble, and into the air. He looked at his opponents. If he didn't have a skeletal feature, you might've been able to see the anger in his eyes.

"Insolent fools! How dare you cause my master so much grief! I shall enjoy killing you." Then he raised his finger as a red beam of light started to form. "You will all die in this place! It's a spell that I haven't used in ages! It's called the Deadly Tempest!" He then shot it, not at them, but below them.

Alucard used his mist form in order to keep from falling, and then reformed on one of the remaining pillars at the top. He still wasn't able to reach Death, since he was on the very top, but prepared to aim his fireballs at him secretly, since the Reaper was not looking in his direction at the moment. The Demon and Fairy Familiar's held onto Rachael's arms so that she wouldn't fall. Death looked at them, still unaware of Alucard's plot.

"Do not think that you can keep this up forever! Minions! Destroy them!"

Suddenly, skeleton heads emerged from thin air. They were dirt brown, and had flames on the backs of their heads. They then flew towards Rachael. When they were close enough, they stopped, and started to glow red, flashing periodically. Suddenly, they exploded, causing the three to fall into the darkness that was the bottom of the clock tower.

However, to everyone's surprise, she started to levitate in mid-air. The Familiar's were following her, unsure of what to do next. She was being slowly carried to the top of the clock tower. This confused Death for a moment, but when he sensed dark power about, he chuckled.

"Ah, I see the master wishes to speak with you. Consider yourself fortunate, Belmont, for my master just doesn't spare anyone of impending doom unless he has something great planned for them. So enjoy your life, while it lasts."

Suddenly, he noticed the growing power of another. Unfortunately for him, it was too late, and the fireballs that Alucard prepared were launched from his cape, and hit Death directly on his robes, burning him all over. Weakening, he let himself fall into the pit.

"This isn't over, Alucard! I'll come back to finish you off later!" He said as he fell until he couldn't be seen anymore.

Sensing that everything was alright for now, he turned into a bat, and flew to the top of the clock tower, following the floating Rachael, who seemed both confused and scared.

Throne room entrance

Alucard continued to follow. However, just as he was about to climb the stairs, Death flew in front of him.

"I told you that I would come back to finish you off. I am afraid that I must not allow you to follow the Belmont, for your influence will not be in our favor."

Alucard unsheathed his sword. "Then I will go through you! Without your advantage of a crowded space, I can now destroy you without any of your tricks!"

"And what makes you think that you're now safe? I can still fly out of your reach, and I can still kill you from a distance."

The Demon and Fairy Familiars quickly flew to their master, and each grabbed a part of his shoulder. Their bodies glowed a white light. Suddenly, Alucard was now levitating.

"Now you may destroy him, master." The Fairy said.

"And don't worry about us." The Demon said. "We have a superb grip."

Death readied his scythe. "Then let us see how this battle ends. I will destroy you, with or without the aid of my surroundings!" Then some more sickles appeared. "Now you will die!"

And so the battle began.

Throne room

Meanwhile, the dark energy placed Rachael into the throne room, and locked the door behind it. The Belmont rose to her feet, and glared at the Count, who was sitting comfortably on his throne. She took out her whip, glaring at him with intense hatred in her eyes. Dracula just smiled at this, obviously amused.

"You've done well to make it this far, child. I would've had Death claim your soul, but I thought it would be more amusing if I did it myself."

"You're wrong for assuming like that! I've come here to destroy you for everything you've done!"

"Ah, so Kim has failed. Pity. I told her that she should've killed you." Then he examined her. "Still, I can see why she would want you around. However, I cannot allow that. You must either be one of us, or one of the dead. And since I'm feeling a little generous, I'll allow you take your pick."

Rachael raised her whip. "With this whip, I'll destroy you! How about that!?"

Dracula shook his head in amusement, grinning. "So, I take it you've managed to regain the power of that whip. Did you also manage to fully restore its power? Did God once again find you useful?" Then he slowly stood up. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Rachael quickly struck the whip. Unfortunately, even though it clearly hit him on the chest, no damage was taken. She tried again, but the result was the same. Now confused, Rachael slowly backed away, wondering what went wrong.

Dracula took that moment to walk closer to her. She tried using the whip again, but there was still no damage. She then tried to grab the holy water from her belt, but the Count quickly grabbed her arm, twisting it until she not only let go of the bottle, but also the whip. She tried to kick him, but he quickly threw her against the wall. Rachael quickly got up, but when she tried to grab the holy water, she couldn't do it. In fact, she couldn't move at all. She watched in fear as the Count approached her.

"So my question has been answered, much to your dismay. Look at you; you can't even move. My power is too great for you, Belmont."

Suddenly, she broke free of the telekinetic grasp, picked up the holy water, and threw it at him. He quickly blocked it with his cape, feeling a slight burning sensation. He then backed away, and raised his hand, causing Rachael to drop the bottle, and levitate into the air. After raising her a few feet from the ground, he lowered his hand, allowing her to drop to the ground.

"Out of all the Belmont's to ever encounter me, you were the first one to amuse me. Not only are you so easy to manipulate, but your power is pretty weak for a Belmont's. I guess that's why you clang onto God like a crutch for so long."

Rachael slowly got up, and rose to her feet. She even managed to pick up the whip again. She remembered what her grandfather said about needing a clear head to fight, but why wasn't the whip working? Was her faith really that low? The Count answered that question by freezing her movements again.

"I just had this rather amusing thought, Belmont. Once I kill you, the fun will be over, and the next Belmont to come here won't be as fun. However, if I don't kill you, there's a chance that you'll come back stronger, and we can't have that. So my mind and rage have reached a compromise. I will turn you into a vampire. That way, I can still have my fun, and any future Belmont that tries to defy me, shall suffer at the hands of another Belmont! No one will be able to oppose me!"

"You won't succeed! I'll kill you before that happens! And if I can't, I'll kill myself, first!"

Dracula laughed. "So you say. Suicide isn't as easy as it sounds. Besides, do you really think that the God you worship will allow it? He's already handed you over to me as punishment. What more will He do if you kill yourself? At least as a vampire, your very existence will be a constant reminder of defiance against Him!"

Rachael was at a loss for words. She thought she was ready to face Dracula, but once again, she was weakened by his mere words. What more can he do with physical blows? Dracula noticed the doubt in her eyes, and decided to manipulate her even more.

"First, it was your father. Then, it was your brother's kidnapping. Then, it was the death and betrayal of your best friend. Then, your pain and suffering in order to reach me. And finally, your new life as a vampire, forever forced to do my bidding. Does this sound like of a God that grants mercy and compassion? No! Everything has led to this! I learned that hard lesson a long time ago, and now, you will do the same!" He then wrapped his cloak around her. "And this 'test' that He has given you when it came to saving your friends or killing me, you have failed it, thus abandoning His goodwill towards you. And now, thanks to you, His world is now covered in darkness, where I shall rule. And I think it as a pedestal of achievement, as well as another way to curse Him, is if I have the one that was supposed to bring humankind light, bring them darkness instead. And now, this talk must come to an end."

Outside the throne room

Meanwhile, Death was now at a disadvantage. Because of Alucard being able to reach him, he wasn't able to keep him at bay. Finally, he tried to use his Deadly Tempest attack, but Alucard quickly cut off his hand, and then pierced him in the chest. He backed away, and levitated back on the stairway. Death, now clutching his stomach and slowly vanishing, spoke.

"You may have defeated me, but now that my master is unstoppable, I will rise again, and this time, I will destroy you!" And with that, he vanished.

Alucard thanked his familiars as he called them back. Then, without wasting anymore time, he busted the door open, and entered the throne room.

Throne room

Much to the Dhampire's shock and surprise, he saw his father, and he was feasting on the blood of the Belmont descendant. Dracula turned around to see him more clearly, and then stopped drinking.

Rachael was shaking, and was pale. She was feeling very weak and very afraid. Alucard noticed the empty look in her eyes. Not only did his father drain her of most of her blood, but also of her confidence and faith. Sword still in hand, he slowly approached them. Dracula looked at him amusedly. He wiped the blood from his mouth, and spoke.

"So you managed to defeat my distraction. Well met, my son. You have gotten a lot stronger since our last encounter."

"I cannot allow you to remain in this world, father."

Dracula, now a bit agitated, looked at his son straight in the eyes. "Even after all these years, you're still uttering that nonsense and allying yourself with that which hates you?! I see that not only has my lackey failed to deceive you, but you also failed to learn anything from it!" Then he held Rachael in front of him. "Your precious humans are weak! Look how easily I subdued 'this' one! And she was supposed to be the one that came to destroy me!"

"You can't judge all of humanity by the weakness and ignorance of a few. I thought you would've learned that a long time ago!"

"Ah, but I have, son. I have learned to use that weakness and ignorance to my advantage. Look at how I was able to weaken this one." He then tossed her to Alucard, who quickly caught her. She was conscious, but trembling in fear, and because of her sorrow, she didn't make a sound. "She will be a vampire by tomorrow. I suggest that you either kill her, or kill me before she can turn." He knew that he wouldn't kill her, but he wanted to put him on the spot in order to make him consider doing it.

Alucard summoned his Demon and Fairy familiars, and spoke to them telepathically so his father couldn't hear what he was saying. "(Take her to the library, and look for Cecilia. If anyone can bring her confidence back, it's her. Now go)!"

They nodded, and then carried Rachael out of the room. He then unsheathed his sword, and took a battle stance. "This ends tonight, father!"

Dracula put his cape behind him, and grabbed one of the ends. "If you wish to learn the hard way, son, then so be it. The last time you defeated me, I was only at partial power. And the first time you defeated me, you had the aid of others. This time, however, you will experience the full power of your father! I will defeat you, and then I will eradicate your weak human side!"

"Enough talk! I have defeated you before, and I will defeat you yet again!"

"Fine. As much as it pains me to do so, I must bestow great pain unto you. Now, have at you!"

And so, the battle between father and son begins.

End of chapter 11.


	12. Buildup

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 12

Buildup

Castle Chapel

It didn't take the Familiars long before they found the Chapel, a place that they would expect Cecilia to be residing. She was in front of the altars cross on bended knee, praying. Her senses interrupted her, and warned her of the would-be intruders. She stood up, and slowly turned around. Much to her surprise, the intruders were two of Alucards Familiars, carrying an injured woman with them. They gently placed her on the cold floor, and sat down to catch their breath. They were in a hurry, and didn't have time to rest during the whole time they were carrying their master during his battle with Death. Cecilia slowly walked towards them, and knelt down. She had a quizzical look to her face.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Alucard?"

There was no response until the Familiars caught their breath. Still sitting, the fairy familiar was the first to speak.

"The master is fighting his father. He wanted us to bring this woman to you."

"Something about confidence building." The demon familiar finished. "And I suggest you hurry. It won't be long before she becomes one of you."

Cecilia looked at the Belmont. She was still conscious, but her facial expressions seemed as good as dead. Her eyes showed that of despair and fear. She then examined her neck, and found the bite marks of a vampire engraved in them. Fighting back her dark urges to feast on the slight trickle of blood that was coming from the wound, she continued to check for more vital signs. Rachael seemed to still be among the living.

"Listen." She told her. "Are you okay? What happened?"

However, Rachael gave no response, only slight breathing. This was quite perplexing to the tormented vampire. When she first went through her transition, she never experienced this amount of sorrow and hopelessness. She looked at the Familiars, hoping that they would have the answers she was looking for.

"I know that it was the Count that bit her, but she should still be in fighting shape. From the looks of things, I'd say that her confidence and self-worth were also drained. Tell me what happened."

The Familiars, not being there during that time, could only shake their heads in uncertainty.

"We don't know." The fairy said. "She was like that when we came there. We're assuming that it had to do with her powers not being strong enough to affect the Count."

Cecilia sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the event that lay before her. She was going to have to get the answers from Rachael herself, but wasn't sure on how to get through to her. Suddenly, she remembered the events that occurred when she was rescuing Alucard from his mental prison. Then the idea hit her. In order to save this woman from her own angst, she's going to have to do it mentally. Hopefully, whatever nightmares she was experiencing at the time won't be too tough to handle.

"Listen." She told the Familiars. "I am going to mentally enter her mind, much like I did with Alucard. However, she must not wake up while I'm still inside. If you should see her wake, I need you to inflict pain upon my body in order to force me back to this realm. Understand?"

The Familiars nodded in agreement, and each one took a side next to a human body. Cecilia then calmed her nerves, and then closed her eyes.

Empty void

Rachael just sat there on her hands and knees in complete fear as swarms of black figures danced around her. They were taunting her and mocking her. Sometimes they would inflict slight pain upon her with their claws, and then resume dancing around her. She was too scared to do anything about it, and Dracula's words kept racing through her mind, giving her less reason to fight back, and even less reason to keep on living.

Cecilia appeared a short distance away from the scene. She quickly noticed it, and rushed towards there. When the reached them, she jumped over the horde of demons, and right in front of Rachael. The demons surrounding the Belmont paid her no mind, and continued with their tormenting. She then tried to pull Rachael away from the demonic mob, but she was too heavy to lift. It was as if a gravitational force was keeping her on the ground.

"Fear is a powerful thing." One demon said as it was flying around.

"Only she can break free." Another said. "But why would she? Tis her own fault. She did this to herself."

"Rachael, listen to me!" Cecilia exclaimed while trying to pry her from the ground. "You have to fight this! You must help Alucard defeat his father! He can't do this on his own!"

"……No…" Rachael replied, finally speaking. "I'm……too weak. No good……"

"Get up! You're no use to humanity if you're dead!"

Almost in tears, Rachael replied. "Maybe, that's what I deserve."

Cecilia sighed in frustration as the demons continued to taunt and mock them.

Throne room

Meanwhile, Alucard was having a difficult time fighting his father, whose power seemed to have grown exponentially since their last encounter. Every time he would strike with his sword, Dracula would either block it with his cape, or turn into mist so that the attack would go right through him. Dracula, in turn, would attack by using a psychic wave to knock him against a wall, or shoot a mixture of lightning and fire all around him. Was he really this powerful in his youth?

This thought made the Dhampire worry. None of his attacks went through, and all of his father's attacks seemed slow enough to dodge. Realizing this, he noticed that his father was purposely doing this as a means to patronize him. At least, that's how Alucard perceived it.

"Your antics are getting old, son." He said. "Why don't we stop playing around long enough for you to come to your senses?" It was more of a suggestion than a question. "Come back home, and I shall bestow you power like this! You'll never have to worry about weakness or sorrow ever again. I shall correct Gods error of humanity, and they will become just like they were meant to be; slaves to the dark forces!"

Alucard frowned. He hated his father's view on humanity. "The only one who's a slave to darkness is you, father! By doing this, you only contribute to that cause by acting as such!"

Dracula chuckled at his sons' ignorance. "And what exactly do you think the so-called 'light' is doing? Like you, humans are nothing more than slaves to the light. Why not put them to better use in the hands of a more capable leader?"

"Because it's not what mother would've wanted! It was the taint of darkness that causes evil!"

Dracula gave his son a stern glare. "Your mother was a kind and gentle soul. No doubt that she would've tried to find the kindness within these humans. Even now, I miss her dearly." As if further contemplating his thoughts, he walked to his throne, and seated himself. "There isn't a day that goes by when I think about her, or Elisabetha."

Curious, Alucard lowered his guard. "Who?"

"Son, there's a part of my past that I've never told you about. If you're willing, please listen."

Alucard agreed, and shown it by sheathing his sword. He figured that this would give Cecilia enough time to bring Rachael back from her anguish. Dracula, however, saw this as one last opportunity to sway his sons' alignment. If this did not work, he would have to destroy him, something that he only wanted to do as a very last resort.

Empty void

After much failed persuasion, Cecilia was getting angry over Rachael's despair.

"I can't believe how much you're whining about this!" She shouted. "Don't you think 'I' was crushed when I first became a vampire, knowing that there was nothing I could do about it?! And here 'you' are, someone who can bring an end to both of our miseries, and all you have to show for it are mental anguishes!"

"You don't understand." Rachael said softly. "I-I failed to kill Dracula. I let him trick me into making a stupid decision which gave him back his full strength. I helped bring the world into darkness. If it were some other Belmont, they wouldn't have let their emotions cloud their better judgment."

"Yeah-yeah. You already told me about how he tricked you, and how your whip wasn't able to affect him. Ever hear of a little thing called hope? Or how about a big thing called faith? You had them once, you can have them again."

"No, it's too late. I failed."

"Then congratulate yourself for failing again. If you don't do something, Alucard will fall, and there will be no one to stop the Count."

"Let another Belmont do it. They'll beat him eventually."

Outraged at this human's despair, she knelt over, and slapped Rachael in the face using the back of her hand. Surprisingly, this caused her to finally budge. She was no longer on her hands and knees; just on her knees. She was sitting upright, her hand rubbing the part of her face that now bore a pink marking. There was a tint of irritation in her eyes. Cecilia smirked at this, and decided to use it to her advantage.

"This is what will happen if you fail again, Belmont. This strike is nothing compared to what you're going to feel during your eternity of torment." She then decided to twist the knife a little. "And think about your mother and brother. Think of the tortures the Count will bestow upon them for his own amusement." She took a few seconds to let the thought sink in before speaking.

It was working, as terrible thoughts were entering her mind like a rush of electricity. The main reason Dracula decided to turn her instead of kill her was to amuse himself at her expense. Him actually torturing her loved ones isn't something she'd doubt he'd do.

Cecilia decided to speak some more. "And what about that boyfriend of yours, hm? Think of the many tortures he would go through."

Rachael's eyes widened in shock. "Y-you know about Nate?"

"Of course. Nothing goes unheard of in 'this' castle."

The thought further drilled into her mind. Dracula was 'very' capable of doing that. She began to realize that her failure would result in not only 'her' damnation, but the damnation of those she cared about. Was she really so mentally saddened that she was so easily blinded by the truth? With new determination, she slowly got up, and stood on her own two legs.

The demons, not pleased at all with this new discovery, stopped flying around them, and grabbed the both of them. They began to utter words of self doubt in their ears. The sounds of their whispers were faint and gurgling.

"You won't defeat the master."

"The master will win."

"God has abandoned you."

"Darkness has risen."

"You are not strong enough."

"You failed before."

"There's no difference now."

"Thing's haven't changed."

Rachael tried to cover her ears, but their voices were loud enough to penetrate her defenses. Cecilia, now tired of hearing their lies and trickery, shouted a war cry, and began shredding the shadowy figures with her bare hands. Each figure that was slashed dissipated into a black puff of smoke.

The demons, now on the offensive, dropped Rachael, and all of them flew over to the treacherous vampire. Although she was greatly outnumbered, she put up a great struggle, taking out as many as she possibly could. When they finally subdued her, she shook violently, trying to shake herself loose. It took more demons to hold her down, but they were finally able to stop her.

Suddenly, she vanished into nothingness. Confused, the demons spread around the room in great worry, wondering if she'll appear in another area. Rachael used this opportunity to start praying for faith and courage. The demons became aware of this, and swarmed around her again. This time, they all made sure she couldn't move by holding her down.

Chapel

Cecilia woke up, jolting herself up from the floor. She quickly looked around, and found herself in the real world. She felt a twinge of pain on her arm, and saw a piercing of some sort on her. There was still some blood, but her vampire healing was closing the wound. She looked at the demon familiar. He was holding a spear. As expected, it had some blood on the tip.

"My sincerest apologies for waking you so soon." He said. "You were shaking violently, and I thought you were in trouble."

She shook her head, and recollected her thoughts, making sure that she was still awake. "No, you did the right thing. I just hope Rachael is well enough to wake up on her own now."

Empty void

The demons once again tried to fill her mind with hopelessness. They tried every lie and trick they could think of, all the while poking her and prodding her whenever she struggled to get free. Wanting to be free of this nightmare, she starting kicking some of them away, and twisting her body so much that the demons lost their grip on her, and accidentally dropped her. When they tried to pick her back up, she threw holy water around her. This caused a lot of the demons to instantly vanish in puffs of smoke.

When she landed, she spoke to the other demons, who were now keeping her distance, her voice well raised so all of them could hear her.

"Listen up! With my newfound strength, and my stern faith in God, I will destroy your master for everything he's done!" Then she shook her head. "No, I will destroy him for the good of all humanity! There will no longer be others like Kim or Cecilia! I will make sure that no one ever has to go through the suffering they had to go through! There will be a day when humanity will no longer have to fear the darkness! I might not be around to see that day, but I will ensure that as long as I draw breath, that evil is obliterated during the time of my friends and family! And should your master ever return, my descendants will be well aware of his presence, and will destroy him, just as my descendents before me have! Now go, and never show your pathetic faces ever again!"

Hearing this speech drove the demons into a wild rage. They lunged after her, but she took out her cross, and created a shield of holy light around her. The demons immediately stopped. However, some of them weren't able to stop in time, and vanished upon touching the barrier.

Looking at the barrier, and then at the glowing cross, she now realized what it was that gave the Belmonts their power. Sure, these enchanted weapons were a great help, but without the proper faith and determination that made them work, they were no greater than an ordinary weapon. When the barrier vanished, she took out her whip. She felt a new power radiating from within it. It made her hands tremble, but she soon got used to its power, and glared at the demons, readying her whip. The demons, realizing that they were too weak to stop her, retreated from that place, flying away as fast as they could.

Satisfied with the results, Rachael awoke from her nightmare.

Chapel

Rachael quickly sat up, a sudden rush of life forming within her. She stood up, but then staggered at the slight pain that was on her neck. Remembering what it was, she turned towards the Familiars and Cecilia.

"How long was I out?"

"Long enough." Cecilia answered. "I suggest you hurry if you want to cure yourself." She turned to the familiars. "Take her to the Count. I'll be waiting for you guys outside the castle."

Rachael turned to her with a look of worry. "Are you sure? If I destroy Dracula, the sun will rise again, and you'll die."

Cecilia shook her head reassuringly. "Not if the faith I have is strong. Your victory will ensure the end of my torment. I will be just as you are; a human able to once again walk in the light."

Rachael nodded. "Okay."

"Just don't lose faith. Otherwise, you're going to fail."

"I won't." then she turned to the Familiars. "Lead the way!"

And so the three rushed towards the area where the throne room resided.

Throne room

Dracula had just finished telling Alucard of his past, his time as a human, and how he became the vampire he is now.

"And that is all that I've experienced."

Alucard now felt remorse for his father. Until now, he did not understand how he could be so cruel towards humanity. However, it did not sway him from his opinion.

"I understand, father."

"Then join me. Help me bring this world into a new era."

"………No."

Shocked, he quickly rose from his throne. "What?!"

"I understand how you must've felt, and I can understand why you chose your method of action. However, it was wrong to do so. It was not the human's fault that you hated God so much, and it was not God's fault for your loss. Things happen, that's all. And while it was the human's fault for what they did to my mother, I do not hold a grudge against them. It was an act of ignorance and deception. Another ploy of the darkness. Mother saw that, and did not hate them, even as they were burning her at the stake. Not all humans are like you say, father. There are good ones. Ones that make things worth fighting for. Mother was one of those good ones, and so were the Belmonts. Not all human's can be blamed for the ignorance of some." Then he unsheathed his sword. "Vampires, however, are associated with the darkness. During my long life, it has brought me nothing but torment. If you look carefully, father, you'll notice that it has brought you nothing but torment and sorrow as well."

Dracula took a moment to contemplate what his son had said. He made sense. Maybe Lisa had a point. After all, she saw the good within him, and even grew to love him. However, the image of the death of the two women in his life, and the betrayal of his own son flashed in his mind. Then he envisioned the humans and all their stupidity, taking away all that he ever cared about. Finally, he pictured God sitting there, doing nothing to ease the pain.

"You have a point, my son. However, you fail to realize the real picture here. There are good humans around the world. However, there are not enough of them to bother searching for. Eventually, the wicked humans will silence the good ones, and the world will remain in its ignorant state. In my new rule, vampires will dominate the world! True, they serve the darkness, but they do not go around judging others for the things they did! With darkness, there is certainty. The vampire race knows very well the law of survival. The human race does not. They try to save things, but at the same time, kill what they do not understand. The Earth itself has gone through more destruction under the rule of humans than it has ever gone through in the times of vampires. So if destroying and enslaving the humans is the key to order, then so be it! And as for God, let him watch his precious humans suffer in the hands of the darkness! His day will come, and when it does, we shall be forever victorious!"

"You have learned nothing, father! While some of what you said is true, you have become delusional on others! Give up this mad mans quest now!" He was hoping his father would listen to reason. He would feel even more remorse if it came to having to kill him yet again.

Dracula, however, had different thoughts. He saw that his son wasn't listening to a word that he had said. If he were to save him from himself, he would have to destroy him.

"Son, I thought that after this long story, and listening to your conversation, that you would finally understand, and come to the realization that your place is by my side. But if sending you to Hell for a few years will make you understand the futility of your ways, then so be it. As much as it pains me to do so, it's the only way."

"You will do no such thing, father! You will be destroyed, and darkness will return to Hell, where it belongs!"

"You have now angered me! Once you've seen the error of your ways, you might feel different! But for now, suffer!"

With one swift motion, Dracula rushed towards Alucard. He knocked away his defenses, and toppled him with a flurry of punches. Alucard used his mist form to get away, and reappeared behind Dracula. Just as he was about to pierce him with his sword, his father transformed into many bats, and swarmed the Dhampire. He then reverted back into normal, and twisted his son's arm, causing him to drop to his knees. Alucard head-butted his father, causing him to stagger and lose his grip. He then pierced his sword into his chest. Unfortunately, he missed his heart.

The Count winced in pain, and then used a psychic blast to knock his son against the wall. He pulled the sword out, and threw it across the room. Within a few seconds, the wound healed itself. Alucard again rushed at his father, but was shot back by another blast. Dracula laughed at this.

"I am now gladder than ever that I decided to use Joachim's soul to steal. His telekinesis was remarkable!"

He then used it to hoist Alucard into the air. While holding the struggling Dhampire in place, he shot a barrage of fireballs at him.

Clock tower remains

Meanwhile, Rachael finally reached the clock tower. She looked around for a way to climb to the top. Unfortunately, the battle with Death had destroyed any possible means of going up there. Fortunately, the Familiars each took her by a shoulder, and flew to the top, carrying her. She felt the wind beneath her feet as she experienced flying once again. This time, though, it felt as though she had wings, unlike the last time, when it felt like something was carrying her. As relaxing as this feeling was, her mind was too preoccupied at the task at hand. Hopefully, she can now stand up to Dracula with the utmost confidence in herself.

End of chapter 12


	13. The Confrontation

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 13

The confrontation

outside the throne room

Rachael gazed at the long stairway. She was amazed that she was actually able to make it here three times in a row, a feat that hadn't been done before. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and proceeded to ascend the long stairway, the two Familiars following close by.

Throne room

Alucard was having an incredibly tough time battling against his father. Anytime he would try a long range attack, it would be deflected. And anytime he got within stabbing range, he was shot back by his father's newly found psychic power.

Dracula, now getting bored of his sons tireless antics, decided to put an end to this battle. After knocking Alucard against the wall, he raised his hand at the shattered remains of the wooden coffins. The pieces formed into one large stake, which was then shot partially through the wall.

Alucard tried to attack his father again, but Dracula dodged the attack, and held his son in place. Then, using his psychic power, led him towards the newly formed stake that was driven through the wall.

"Last chance, son." he said. "Join me."

"No!" Alucard exclaimed. "I will not succumb to my cursed bloodline!"

"Fine! Have it your way!"

Just as he was about to push him against it, Rachael busted in the room. The Familiars closed the doors behind her.

The Count turned around, surprised to see the same woman here again.

"Welcome." he said. "I see you're a little healthier looking than the last time you were here. Have you come to try your luck yet again?"

"Things are different now." Rachael calmly spoke, making sure that her emotions were in check. "Thanks to the little time-out you gave me, I now have the power to defeat you!"

Dracula chuckled upon hearing this. "Is that so?" He then started taking a few steps closer to her, taking amusement whenever she would take small steps backwards. "What makes you think that things are any different? If my own son cannot defeat me, what makes you think that you, of all people, can stand a chance?"

Rachael readied her whip, but the Count raised his hand, and she collapsed on her hands and knees.

"As you can see, this changes nothing, child. You are still the same easily susceptible human that failed at her last two encounters."

Rachael was silent. She did not want to speak about the matter, should his words weaken her again. She slowly got up again, but was pushed down again. He laughed again.

"Don't you have anything to say? Or are you perhaps afraid? Like it or not, you are going to become a vampire tomorrow. Trying to provoke me into killing you isn't going to change things. You should feel lucky, Belmont. Not every human gets this opportunity of a lifetime."

"Y-you're wrong." Rachael finally spoke as she was slowly getting up, despite the Counts powers that tried to keep her down. "Things 'are' different now!"

"So it is." Dracula said, noticing that her resistance was stronger than before. "It's quite amusing, actually." He then picked her up by the throat, and threw her against the wall.

Rachael quickly got up, and readied her whip again. Dracula grinned at this.

"It looks like you need another morale drop." He then raised both of this hands, and both Alucard and Rachael were suspended in the air. The Familiars tried to rush at him, but were pushed back by an invisible force. He turned back to Rachael. "So, how big of a drop do you need?" He rose them higher into the air. "This high?"

Suddenly, a sword pierced his back. He dropped both of them, in which the landed on their feet. He quickly turned around to discover that Alucard had thrown his own sword at him while he was taunting Rachael. He then pulled it out of his back, wincing in pain. Rachael used this opportunity to strike her whip.

A sharp and burning pain ran through the Counts spine as the whip managed to strike the same spot that the sword had made its mark in. This caused him to yell in pain, staggering as well. He turned back towards Rachael, his expression wearing that of both anger and shock.

"How can this be?! You were nothing but a weakling a few moments ago! How is it that the whip regained its power?!"

"Your methods of the darkness being the strongest were wrong, father." Alucard answered as he walked next to Rachael. "Her Belmont power has merely reached its full potential."

"Yes, it has." Rachael added. "When I started fighting for the right reasons, I felt a surge of power flow from within me. It was God telling that everything was alright, and that I was now ready to face you, Dracula." She thought it best not to mention Cecilia, lest he turn his anger towards her instead.

"Humans are not the weaklings you make them out to be." Alucard finished. "It is true that I cannot defeat you alone, but with the aid of a Belmont to help me as it did in the past, it can be done! Father, you must not be allowed to succeed any further!"

The Familiars took this opportunity to quickly grab the sword from Dracula's grip, and fly over to their master, who quickly took it. They were then dismissed, and vanished.

"It ends tonight!" Rachael exclaimed, readying her whip and cross. "I will not become a vampire, and the world will once again be restored to the light! May God have mercy on your soul. If not, then may He condemn it for all eternity!"

Outraged, Dracula used his power to push them against the walls. Unfortunately, nothing happened. He tried it again, but to no avail.

"Your power no longer has affect on us, Dracula!" Rachael answered when she realized what he was trying to do. "This is a sign that we are in Gods favor, and he has handed this victory to us!"

"You fools!" the Count exclaimed, now angered at the fact that he was now facing a similar situation once again, back when his son helped Trevor Belmont defeat him. "Do you not realize that you are nothing but a pawn?! Must I destroy the both of you to prove that?!" He was now a little nervous. He knew that without the power of being in his original castle, he wouldn't be able to harness his maximum power, which he was going to need if the odds really 'were' against him.

Then he got an idea. "Listen." he started. "This battle is futile. You are still going to turn into a vampire tomorrow, Belmont, and you are still going to spend some time in Hell, son. The only thing that has changed is where the battle is going to take place."

"What are you talking about?" Rachael asked, not understanding him.

"The two of you have a choice. Either stay here and live, or follow me to my original castle and die."

"How about we destroy you right here and now."

"That is not one of your choices, child."

Suddenly, he raised his hand in the air, and a bright flash of light surrounded the room, blinding Alucard and Rachael. They kept their eyes shut until the light completely faded away. When it did, they looked around. Dracula was nowhere in sight. Rachael was confused.

"Where did he go?"

Alucard sighed. He knew exactly what his father was talking about.

"To his original castle on the Moon. Unfortunately, I do not know how to reach it. At least not before it's too late."

Hearing this worried Rachael. She knew she had to find 'some' way to reach that castle, but had no idea how to do it. She didn't want to become a vampire, and she didn't want her family to suffer any more than they already have.

While she was pondering the situation vigorously, she receive a message from the communicator she was wearing. She quickly answered it to hear Nate's voice on the other line.

"Hello? Rachael?"

"Yes, Nate?"

"Um, I didn't interrupt your battle, did I?"

"No. He got away. I'm still trying to figure out how to catch him."

"Well, while you're at it, come back here. There's something I think you should see."

"Huh? What is it?"

"It's hard to explain. Like some kind of portal. Hurry up and see!"

"Okay. I'll be right there."

After signing off, she told Alucard of the situation. Agreeing to come with her, they departed from the castle as quickly as they could.

Distance from Castle entrance

The two rushed over to see what was going on. To their surprise, a large blue portal was right in front of them. It suspended in mid air, just a few meters off the ground. It had an eerie whitish-blue wave to it.

"How did this happen?" Rachael asked.

"I have no idea." Nate answered. "It just suddenly appeared."

"You are to go through it." A female voice suddenly said.

Everyone quickly looked back in the direction of the voice. It was coming from a dark haired woman with pale skin.

"Cecilia?" Rachael asked.

Cecilia nodded.

"How do you know about this?"

"The Count was careless. He apparently used the one-dimensional travel device that one of his scientists created. The setting was too high, and it left some residue just outside the castle."

"Yeah, so it would seem." Nate said. "Still, isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"Never undervalue the will of God." she answered sharply. She then felt her vampire urges come back when she looked at Nate, who seemed to look like a fresh supply of blood to her. Her fangs baring, she knelt to the ground, praying for the urge to subside.

Nate, now noticing that she was a vampire, took out his guns, but Alucard quickly destroyed them with his sword.

"She's not like the others!" he quickly told him. "No harm comes to her."

Nate looked at Rachael, who was also nodding.

"She saved me from a mental prison. She's a good person. I think we can cure her if we kill Dracula. Hopefully, there's still hope for her."

"Well, if you say so."

"Keep an eye on me just in case." Cecilia said after finally being able to successfully resist her urges.

"Oh, I plan to." Nate said as he sat down next to a weapons case. "You just keep fighting that urge."

Rachael looked at the portal. It was very eerie, yet there was something about it that almost called to her, as if it were some kind of alluring light.

"Well, I guess we should go in." She said, and then turned back to Nate. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

"You hurry back, then." he said. "There's no telling how long that portal will stay open."

So the two jumped into the portal without looking back.

Dracula's 'real' castle: main hall

When they exited the portal, the two looked around. It looked just like the other castle did, only it was darker and more ancient looking. The lamp stands that used to serve as electric lights were replaced by lit torches. Rachael looked at the windows, and through them, saw the stars and the blackness of space. Finally realizing that she was on a planet that wasn't supposed to have oxygen, she began to panic. Fortunately, Alucard firmly squeezed her shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

"This castle is enchanted. Do not doubt anything that might normally seem impossible."

Hearing this made the young woman feel more at ease. Her muscles relaxed, and she was now able to think more clearly.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

Alucard just nodded. He wanted to get this over with as soon as he could. He wanted his father's reign of terror to come to an end. As they were walking towards the main door, an uneasy feeling came upon him.

"There is danger beyond this door."

Hearing this, Rachael readied her whip as Alucard drew his sword. Carefully opening the main door, the two quickly rushed inside.

Clock Tower

Rachael looked around. Strangely, the mess that was caused from the battle against Death was no longer there. It was as if nothing had happened. Realizing that this wasn't the same castle, she shrugged off the thought, and proceeded to ascend the clock tower.

However, she was pulled back by Alucard. When she looked at the platform that she was about to step on, she noticed a sickle in its place. Looking up, they saw Death. He laughed, and then flew down towards the two.

"I thought you killed him." Rachael whispered.

"As long as father lives, he will always return."

"How right you are, Alucard." Death answered. He drew his scythe, and swung it around in a few circles before stopping. "The master suspected that something might've gone wrong with his transport, so he sent me to make sure things didn't turn in your favor."

"I defeated you before." Alucard said as he readied himself for battle. "Your reappearance makes no difference."

Death, of course, laughed at this. "You are once again correct, Alucard. However, now that I have permission to use my full force against the two of you, there won't be another chance. I will gladly take your souls into the deepest regions of Hell!"

"You're the one who's going to Hell!" Rachael shouted, tired of all of this, and wanted to end it quickly. "And we're the ones who are going to send you there!"

Death laughed again. "The master was right about you. You 'are' an amusing one." Then he flew out of reach. "I shall have fun killing you. Let the battle commence!"

Alucard wasted no further time, and took a huge leap at Death, holding onto his scythe when he tried to block with it. Suddenly, a barrage of sickles came in his direction. The Dhampire quickly leapt to the next platform as the sickles were following him. Rachael threw an exploding crystal at Death when he wasn't looking, causing him to crash against the wall. Alucard then comboed with a blast of fireballs, hitting him on impact.

Now angry, the reaper of souls sent another barrage of sickles at Rachael, and attacked Alucard with his scythe. The Dhampire carefully parried each thrust, taking caution not to get sliced into ribbons.

Rachael used this opportunity to jump onto some more platforms, dodging the sickles on the way. When she was close enough, she struck her whip at him. He saw this at the last second, and turned to block it. Unfortunately for him, Alucard also used this opportunity to pierce Death in the skull with his sword. Howling in pain, he reached to pull it out, but his face was struck with the Belmont whip.

The Grim reaper quickly flew out of reach again.

"You foolish creatures! You will all die a painful death!"

He then raised his hand as a large red ball of energy was forming in it. Recognizing this move from last time, the two quickly raced to as many platforms towards him as possible. They were fortunate enough to get away from the area of the blast, which took out the entire ground section of the clock tower with it. Seeing that he missed, he called his skull minions to aid him. Alucard distracted them while Rachael rushed towards her target.

When she reached him, she got cut by a few stray sickles, causing her to stagger. She quickly used her cross' energy as a shield in order to protect herself from the remaining sickles. Quickly getting up, the Belmont threw some holy water at Death, causing him to squirm in pain. Just then, Alucard came back, and pierced the unholy creature with his sword. Rachael then struck her whip at the creature several times until he fell into the bottom of the tower.

Seconds later, however, he came flying back up. This time, however, his form was different. His cloak was replaced by golden armor. His scythe was now dual bladed. and her bore ugly grey wings on his back, like that of a fallen angel.

"I shall now use the power of the castle to completely destroy you!"

And with that, he swung his dual bladed scythe in circles, and launched it. Not at his enemies, but at the platforms that they were standing on. Alucard and Rachael jumped from platform to platform, ascending the clock tower that their enemy was trying to destroy from under them. When they finally reached the top, Death flew right in front of them.

"You no longer have any place to run or hide! You will now fight me face to face!"

And with that, he struck at them. Alucard blocked one part of the scythe with his sword, while Rachael dodged the other. Every time she would try to get within a distance to use the whip, he would close in on her, still blocking each and every blow that his Dhampire nemesis would try to strike at him.

Seeing that this battle was leading nowhere, she rushed to the door, opened it, and rushed outside. Alucard leapt over Death, and followed suit, slamming the door shut behind him.

Stairway to throne room

Rachael was stunned to see that starry skies of space above and below her. It was so beautiful, and yet, so scary. She had to repeatedly tell herself that this castle was enchanted, and that she had nothing to worry about.

"So why did we run here?" Alucard asked.

"He had too much of an advantage there." she answered. "Besides, I have an idea. Just follow my lead."

Seconds after she said that, Death stormed through the door. Looking around him, he laughed.

"You stupid fools. Do you realize that you have just given me the advantage?" He then flew to the stairway that led to his master's throne room. "The only way to the master is through me! And the only way to do that is to fight me on this narrow path!"

So the two quickly rushed at him. He used his sickles to try to knock them off, but they were dodged and blocked. Rachael struck her whip, but it was blocked by Death's scythe. Alucard leapt over him, and tried to stab him, but the dual bladed scythe was able to protects its master.

"Grab him!" Rachael shouted.

Alucard wasn't sure what was going on, but he complied anyways. He quickly wrapped his arms around the armored skeleton, who was now having trouble swinging his weapon. Wasting no further time, Rachael rushed at her enemy, and stabbed the cross into his forehead. She uttered a quick prayer, and backed away.

"Let go, now!"

Alucard quickly let go and jumped away. Death was now feeling intense heat within his body. He tried to remove the cross, but it was too hot, as well as embedded too deep.

"What's happing?!" he shouted. "What's going on?!"

"A Belmont's power can destroy all related to the vampire. Though your power is divine, you are no exception!" Somehow, she felt the need to say that.

As he was fading away, Death spoke to them.

"I might've failed at my task, but I have successfully wasted enough of your time and energy! Do you feel the effects of the vampire's curse? It'll now grow stronger as you grow weaker! My master should have no trouble slaying the both of you now. You will all fail!" Laughing once more, he faded away completely.

Unfortunately, the cross faded away with him, leaving Rachael with only the whip and holy water as weapons. Looking at the path the lies ahead of them, they proceeded to the throne room.

Throne room

When they entered, they found Dracula comfortably sitting on his throne. His eyes were shut. As they closed the door, his eyelids slowly rose open. He looked at the two intruders in a most displeased manner.

"You two were fools to come here." he said. "I give you one last chance at survival, and you foolishly threw it away." He then turned his attention towards Alucard, who now looked ready for battle. "I was hoping that you would've come to your senses. It pains me to think of how God is using my own son as a tool against me." Then he turned towards Rachael, who also looked ready for battle. "And here is His greatest tool of all. You disappoint me, child. You are within moments of becoming a vampire, and yet you choose to throw your life away."

"You're wrong!" Rachael exclaimed. "I'm not throwing my life away! I'm saving others with it! If my life is the price for the safety of those I care about, then so be it! I'm not letting you live tonight!"

"I see. Spoken like a true Belmont." Then he turned to Alucard. "And what is your reason for wanting to slay your own father?"

"To cease the existence of my own cursed bloodline." he answered. "And although it pains me to fight you, it is necessary to ensure that no more of our kind walks the Earth."

Dracula slowly stood up, and drew his sword.

Just as they were about to charge, Rachael falls to her knees, clutching her stomach in pain. Dracula pointed his sword in her direction.

"The vampire's curse is starting to take effect. I'm actually quite surprised it took this long. Soon after, the blood craving will start to take effect. By morning, you'll fully turn."

Looking at her hands, Rachael noticed that she was paler than usual. "(Oh no)!" she thought. "(I'm running out of time)!"

"You might as well just accept it. You won't have time to kill me before morning. I'll make sure of that. But if it is death that you wish to seek, I can arrange that for you. If you live long enough to turn, then I will have my amusing toy. If not, then I will have eradicated the only two threats to my existence."

"That won't happen!" Alucard exclaimed. "You will die before then!"

"You were always so foolish, son." he replied as he turned in his direction. "I have given you more than your fair share of chances, and have lost a few good servants in the process. Their lives will by compensated by taking yours."

Rachael slowly got up, and took a battle stance.

"You will do no such thing! I won't turn, nor will we die! Now stop talking!"

Dracula laughed. He was going to miss being amused at her false hope, but if she wanted to die so badly, why deny her that?

"Very well, Belmont." he said as he raised his sword. "Let's begin."

Alucard was the first to strike, but Dracula teleported away from him, and right behind Rachael. He grabbed her, and drank some of her blood. While screaming in pain, she doused his face with holy water, causing him to let go. She quickly struck her whip at him several times. When he finally back far away enough, he teleported back to his throne. He then shot several fireballs and lightning balls at them. They were dodging successfully until he raised his cape, which was pulling them towards him.

Alucard let himself be pulled in. When he got close enough, he used his sword to pierce his father in the heart. Dracula used his sword to pierce his son as well.

Quickly backing away, Dracula pulled the sword from his chest. Alucard did the same. Both of them were heavily panting, clutching their wound with one hand, and their sword in the other. Both of them had nearly escaped death. If it wasn't for their strength, it probably would've been the end for both of them.

Rachael clutched the bite mark on her neck in pain. It was the same spot in which he had bit her earlier. She was feeling weaker, and felt like going to sleep as her vision became blurry.

Suddenly, the Fairy Familiar appeared. She sensed that her master needed her aid, and summoned herself. She then tended to her master's wound.

"Hold on, master." she said.

"I'll be fine." he answered. "Go and help Rachael. Father has bitten her again!"

So she rushed to Rachael's aid. Rachael mentally thanked God for the sudden miracle. If it wasn't for the fairy's miraculous healing, she might've died, and woken up a vampire.

Dracula was quietly allowing this to go on in order to give his wound time to heal itself. It was pretty deep, so it wouldn't heal in just mere seconds. He sat on his throne until his body healed him. When it healed, he stood up again. Unfortunately for him, Alucard was also healed, and ready for another round of battle. Rachael, although still feeling the effects of the curse slowly building up, was healed as well.

The Count laughed at their determination. "You are all fools! Do you really think that this is the full extent of my power? It will now be revealed to you, and with it, your very deaths!" He meant it this time, seeing as how he almost got killed by underestimating his son, which was something he should've known better than to do. Still, he learned his lesson, and will now kill both of them. "Behold, my true power!"

The room then shook violently as if an earthquake had hit it. Never having experienced this before, this frightened Rachael. Alucard, however, knew what his father was doing. Rachael stared in horror as she saw Count Dracula suddenly changing in shape, form, and size, his laughs becoming more and more demonic.

End of chapter 13.

Well, I hoped you liked this chapter. Sorry for the long wait in the update. Just to let you know, chapter 14 will be the final chapter.


	14. Resolution

Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.

Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends

Chapter 14

Resolution

Original Castle: Throne room

Both Rachael and Alucard slowly backed away as the new form of their enemy became clearer and larger. Rachael was shocked beyond belief. It was one thing to hear about the Counts forms, but it was another to actually witness one. Alucard himself was a bit surprised. The last time he saw one of his father's forms, it was too long ago to remember the impact it had on him.

Dracula, now in his demonic form, stood upright. He now had a height of at least eleven feet. His body had scaly features, each pale blue in color. He extended his claws, which were yellow, and looked very sharp. His arms were muscular, and were three times the size they were in his normal form. The same went for his legs, head, and body. His stomach possessed a set of teeth. It looked like a mouth, but it was clamped shut.

Rachael gazed at the direction of his head. His mouth was extended, like that of a wolf's jaw. The way he growled and displayed his sharp fangs and canines further represented this. His eyes were yellow, and no sign of pupils could be found. All that was there was an equally yellow glow protruding from them. He had a mane like a Lions that matched the dead color of his skin. His horns were the shape of a Yak, and as such, stretched from the sides of his head. From his back, enormous wings could be seen. They were as leathery as a Bat. They couldn't see if he had a tail, but at this point, it didn't matter to them.

Dracula then spoke to them, his voice gurgling and moderately breathing.

"You two shall die in this room! I won't make the mistake of underestimating you this time around!"

Alucard was the first one to strike. As he went to strike his leg, Dracula leapt out of the way, and towards Rachael. She quickly jumped out of the way, feeling the intense quake of the ground. Before she could get away, he grabbed her with his hand, and threw her against the wall. She caught herself by placing her feet against it, and in one motion, pushes herself back in the demons direction. By then, he had already had his attention on Alucard, who had tried to strike his leg again. She used this opportunity to strike the back of his head with her whip.

The intense burn caused him to howl in pain, clutching the back of his neck. Immediately, he stomped on the ground, causing a shockwave to knock Rachael on her backside. When he did so, Alucard slashed at his arm, causing blood to appear. When he tried to strike at his son, another crack of the whip was struck on his back. He turned around, but was slashed in the back by the Dhampires sword.

Realizing that they had him in a pincer attack, he leapt once again to the other side of the room. When they tried to chase after him, he opened his mouth, and shot a white blast directly at them. They both jumped to the side, and then dodged some more as the blast was moving in random directions. When the blasts stopped, they rushed at him again.

Unfortunately, the mouth that was on his stomach finally opened. It fired the same type of blast that his other mouth shot. Alucard pushed the young Belmont aside as the blast hit him on the chest, knocking him against the wall. The demon then used his other mouth to shoot another blast at Rachael, who quickly dodged, racing between his legs. Not wanting to take any chances, he leapt out of the way. This time, he was now flying around the room, his wings flapping slowly.

When he saw both of his opponents spreading around to try to corner him, he swooped down to grab the Dhampire, but only managed to catch mist, which quickly formed into its former self on his claws. Suddenly, before Dracula could react, Alucard plunged his sword deep into the demons forehead, digging both the hilt of the blade and his hands into his skull, and then dove back to Rachael's side.

The demon howled and screeched in pain as he tried to pry it loose, but was unable to. It had been plunged too deeply to remove. Within seconds, he collapsed, and came crashing to the ground, creating a small tremor as he did so. He lied there, lifeless.

Rachael went over to investigate, her whip ready in case he sprung back to life. Alucard looked around the castle. Except for some of the damaged that was caused during their battle, everything seemed fine. In fact, everything seemed 'too' fine. That was when he remembered that the castle was supposed to be collapsing. He then turned back towards Rachael, who was looking around the Counts skull in hopes to retrieve the sword that was inside.

"Rachael, get back!" he shouted.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to react in time. The demon quickly grabbed the Belmont with his hand, and began to squeeze the life out of her. She wasn't able to fight back. The grip was too tight for her to use her whip. The Dhampire rushed to her aid, but was grabbed by his other hand. He tried to squeeze him as well, but once again, only managed to grab mist. The demon slowly stood up as he continued to squeeze the life out of the now frightened woman, who was trying her best to withstand the pain her muscles were now feeling.

Alucard knew that he needed his sword, so he leapt on his shoulders, and grabbed the sword by the hilt. He let himself be grabbed by his father, making sure to not let go of the hilt. Dracula was also using this moment to trick his son into helping him remove the sword, which was becoming a hindrance to his power usage. The roars of his expressed pains got louder as the sword was slowly but surely being removed from his skull. This, unfortunately, increased his grip on Rachael, who was now also screaming in pain. This combined noise was hurting the Dhampire's ears, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to help her efficiently unless he got his weapon back. Finally, the blade came out. Dracula dropped both his son and the woman as he backed away to let the pain subside.

Alucard went over to Rachael and held her to a sitting position. She was breathing heavily, both to catch her breath and to ease the pain. Never in her life had she experienced so much pain. To make matters worse, her stomach churned in pain again. She quickly kneeled down, clutching it. Alucard knew that her time was running short, and his father needed to be killed quickly. He could only hope that she was able to fight off the transformation long enough for her to be cured. He then stood up, and readied his sword, facing his father, who still seemed to be in pain. Suddenly, the demon collapsed again.

Not believing he was dead, the Dhampire watched for any sudden movements. Rachael, after suppressing the pain yet again, stood up, and walked beside him. She looked cautiously at the fallen demon.

"I-is he dead?" she asked.

Alucard shook his head. "He's up to something."

The moment he said that, streaks of red and purple filled the surface of the supposed corpse. The same colored streaks then spread out and filled the room. The two looked around, eyeing the surrounding with caution. The entire place had now looked like another dimension of some sort. They looked back at the body, only to find that it was vanished when the streaks left it. Suddenly, laughter could be heard from around the room. The voice belonged to Dracula, but instead of the former gurgling sound, it was now dual and echo-like. Alucard, along with Rachael, readied their weapons as the voice spoke to them.

"My power will not be defeated!" he said to them. "Victory is within my grasp, and I will not let you take it away!" He then laughed some more. "Behold your ultimate doom!"

Rising from the ground from where the demons body once was, an entire new form was rising from it. It was the biggest demonic form that either of them had ever seen. It was even larger than Galamoth! This abomination was over fifty feet tall, gold in color, and had features of a Hydra, the Greek Dragon with the ability to respawn its heads. It even had the multiple heads to go with it. It stood on four legs, but had two extra appendages on its body which served as arms with razor sharp talons. It didn't have wings, but its tail was that of a typical Dragon, with the exception of a snakes head at the tip. Each head had a long horn growing from it. However, it wasn't a complete set as one might think. Some heads had two horns, while other's had only one. Looking at its targets, it spoke.

"No matter how strong or versatile you are, nothing can destroy me now!"

Both heroes ears hurt from the echoing and deepness when each head spoke in unison, but they managed to hold their ground. They weren't sure if the place they were in was still the castle, nor did they have any idea how to defeat this foe, but at this point, none of that mattered. They knew that they had to find 'some' way to kill Dracula.

Immediately, the two spread apart in order to try to confuse this creature. However, when they finally reached the heads, they had no idea as to how to attack one without getting ripped to shreds by the other. Still, Alucard slashed off one of its heads. As expected, a new head instantly grew back in place of the old one. After letting his son do that, Dracula attacked using one of his heads to bite. The Dhampire quickly dodged the attack, and then dodged some more as more and more heads kept trying to bite him.

Things weren't going so well for Rachael, either. She continued to climb the enormous scaly body as she struck each head that tried to attack her. By the time she had finally reached the neck areas, all the necks without heads instantly grew new ones. They tried to bite her as well. If it wasn't for her agility, she probably would've been killed in one gulp.

As for Alucard, his speed was what kept him from getting chewed up by these monstrosities. While he was dodging via mist and speed, he tried to remember how it was that the Hydra was killed in the stories. Rachael, having never read that story, was wracking her brain to try to think of a method to kill this creature while she dodged the heads and slid around the necks in order to stay alive.

Suddenly, the answer struck the Dhampire as Dracula's talon managed to grab him. He had to find a way to reach Rachael. Unfortunately, the Hydra demon reached her first by grabbing her with his other talon. He then held the two in front of them so he could see them clearly. Knowing that he didn't have much time, Alucard spoke quickly.

"Rachael! Do you still have that holy water?!"

"Yes, why?!"

"When I fought Richter Belmont, he had used its power to create an immense rainfall of holy water! I want you to do the same while I cut off his heads!"

"But I don't know how to do that!"

"Then you had better remember quickly!"

Dracula was about to crush them with his grip, but then he noticed that Rachael was screaming in pain before he could even do anything. Curious, he let her drop to the ground. Strangely, she landed on her feet, and clutched her stomach, screaming in more pain. Now realizing what was going on, he laughed in delight. He then looked at his son with all of his heads.

"You are too late, my son." He said. His voices were still loud, but not as loud as when they were shouting. "She is already turning into a vampire. All that is left is the final stage in which she'll collapse, and wake up as a creature of the night. You are now doomed."

Rachael's screams became louder as she tried to keep herself awake. The pain was becoming greater. This was because the venom that caused vampirism could only fully take effect when its victim loses consciousness, so the pain was made to force its victim into unconsciousness. She was mentally praying for a way for this to stop, while Dracula continued to amuse himself in watching her struggle. Alucard, still in the clutches of his father, could only hope that she used her power before she lost consciousness.

Knowing that the end was near, she clutched the bottle of holy water in her hands.

"(Please, God. Give me enough strength to use this)."

Suddenly, she rose to her feet. She turned around to face Dracula. Her eyes were slightly faded, due to the intense pain she was still experiencing. She raised the bottle in the air. Then, as if words were put into her mouth, she shouted.

"Hydro Storm!" she wasn't sure how she knew those words. They just seemed to come up somehow.

Immediately, a powerful rain of holy water filled the area. The dark creature roared in pain as he dropped Alucard. He did his best to try to cover himself from the burning rainfall. It was also harming Alucard, but not as much as his father, since half of him was human.

Using all the speed he could muster, he leapt towards the screaming heads and chopped them off one by one, each one fiercely hitting the strange colored floor. Thanks to the holy rain, the heads weren't able to regenerate. He continued to strike at each head until every one of them were cut off from the body. The Dhampire watched in pain as the heads, as well as the body, began to burn and melt away.

With Dracula finally destroyed, the room turned black. The rain had finally stopped after doing so. When the room lit up again, Alucard could see the body of his father lying in its lifeless position, his cape covering up his body. Rachael looked at the bottle of holy water. It seemed to finally be empty, despite Renon's guarantee that it would never run out. With her pain finally gone, her body was able to relax itself, and she passed out.

Alucard looked at the remains of his father. He felt sorrow for once again having to fight his father. His lamentation was short lived, however, as a quake suddenly shook the room. Knowing that their mission was finally over, he picked up Rachael and rushed back to the main hall.

Original castle: Main hall

Upon rushing to the main hall, he had hoped that the portal still remained. Much to his relief, it still did. Wasting no further time, he jumped right through it.

Duplicate Castle: Entrance

Alucard rushed out of the castle, and continued to run until he reached the area in which Nate and Cecilia were residing. He hoped that they were alright. When he finally made it there, a look of shock appeared in his face at the sight he saw. The sky was still dark, and Nates crew was sprawled about on the ground. Looking further, he saw the lying bodies of both Nate and Cecilia. His face shown anger when he gazed upon the figure that stood from across the bodies.

The figure was of average height. He donned a dark blue business suit, a red necktie, matching dark blue business pants, and black dress shoes. He also wore a goatee, dark sunglasses, and a dark blue derby to match his suit. And to fully match the businessman attire, he was carrying with him a black briefcase in his left hand and a clear box that held a black stone and a red stone with his tail, which resembled a devil's, except it was dark grey in color.

"Renon." Alucard answered, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"At your service." Renon replied as he tipped his hat and bowed. "If you're concerned about these people, do not worry. They are merely in a slumber."

"What are you doing here?" Then it dawned on him as he realized what the stones in his hand were. "The Ebony stone? 'And' the Crimson stone?! It was you who orchestrated this?!"

Renon shook his head. "Not quite. I'm not into this whole 'take over the world' business. I am merely around to make a profit. You see, my client wasn't too pleased to see the Ebony stone in the hands of a vampire, so he had me to retrieve it."

"And who is your client?"

Renon waved his finger. "Now you know as well as I do that I cannot reveal the name of my clients. However, I can reveal to you the purpose of my clients plan, seeing as how it's already set in motion."

Alucard didn't say a word, but allowed the demon salesman to continue.

"Simply put, Count Dracula was becoming far too powerful to be controlled by the forces of the darkness. My client was also a power hungry lunatic who wanted the Counts power for himself."

"Joachim."

"Very astute, young one. It was obvious that his own greed led to his demise. He figured that if he had the power of the Ebony stone, it would allow him to find the Crimson stone before his master did. Little did he know, the Count had already known of his treachery, and planned a double cross of his own. In fact, Joachim was 'supposed' to do the Counts work for him, leading to all the necessary tools required for his full resurrection. It went quite well, if I do say so myself."

"But father's plan has failed."

Renon shook his head again. "On the contrary. Although you and Rachael stopped his plan A, you have only succeeded in activating his plan B."

The Dhampire's expression was now that of shock and confusion. Renon noticed this, and explained further.

"When Julius Belmont sealed the Counts castle on the moon, his soul was trapped there as well. The only way for it to be free was for it to be carried back to Earth. Thanks to Joachim, that was possible."

"But we killed father on the moon. How does that bring him back?"

"I'm not really sure." Renon admitted. "I'm assuming that it escaped through those portals. But that doesn't matter. Your father's soul is now freed, so now he can be reborn again in some form or another. I can only assume that he'll try to bring his castle back to Earth." He then noticed the look of shock on the Dhampire's face. He chuckled before speaking. "But you shouldn't worry. As you know, a soul can be reincarnated if a higher being allows it. He might come back evil. He might come back good. Who knows? All I care about is getting paid, which I have been handsomely, by both Joachim and the Count."

Still feeling a little alarmed, Alucard spoke.

"And what of the Ebony and Crimson stones? Do you plan to use them for yourself?"

Hearing this made Renon chuckle. "Heavens, no. Only vampire's draw power from the night, and only a vampire and human can draw power from the Crimson stone. To a demon, they're just pretty looking rocks that were made so that the two simple-minded races can wage war on each other, creating chaos, which is another thing we draw power upon." He then looked at the stones, smiling. "I think I'll hide them in a cave or something. You know, so another human or vampire can find them. Or better yet, Dracula's reincarnated form. The splendid results are endless!" He then regained his calm demeanor. "Forgive me. Money and chaos can excite me at times."

Alucard quickly put Rachael down and unsheathed his sword. "I cannot allow you to leave with those!"

Renon just tipped his hat. "I am terribly sorry, but you do not have much of a choice. Farewell." And with that, he instantly vanished.

The Dhampire muttered to himself. Now he was going to have to make sure that nobody finds those stones, 'especially' his father, should he ever try to return for them. He looked at the sky as the darkness faded, bringing in the morning sun. The others, excluding Rachael, woke from their slumber. They were wondering what happened.

Nate looked around. "What happened?" He then noticed Rachael lying on the ground. "Rachael!" He rushed over to pick her up. "Is she okay?!"

"She's fine." Alucard answered. "She just needs a lot of rest." He looked at her to make sure. Fortunately, her skin was back to its original complexion, and her aura was that of a full human. When he turned around, he was tightly embraced by a female, who could be heard weeping. He raised her head.

It was Cecilia. This time, though, she looked healthier. Her skin was fair, her eyes were brown, and her tears were that of water, instead of blood. His father's death had indeed cured her.

"I'm so glad to see you're alive!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Thank you for everything. I am in your debt!"

Rachael had then awaked from her sleep. The morning sun was bright, which caused her sleep to be disturbed. When she realized that the bright light was the sun, her eyes widened, and a smile gleamed across her face.

"(We did it)!" she thought. "(We actually did it)!"

"Rachael?" Nate asked. "Are you alright?"

"Better than alright!" she answered as she hugged him tightly. "We won!"

Upon hearing this, Alucard broke free from Cecilia's grip, and turned to Rachael.

"Only for the time being." He said. "Our battle has freed father's soul from the moon, so he'll eventually come back in another form. I must stay prepared in case worst comes to worst. I suggest that you do the same."

Rachael then let go of Nate, and stood on her own feet. "I kind of figured that. No matter. Should he ever return, I'll be ready for him! And I'll make sure that every Belmont that is raised will be ready for him!" She then raised her whip in the air. "As God as my witness, the Belmont clan will continue to hunt the night until its terror plagues humanity no more!" Suddenly, the pain from the battle caused her to stagger and wince in pain. "Ouch. Hopefully, it won't be during this generation." Then she looked at Alucard again. "So, what will you do now?"

As long as the vampire race continues to walk this planet, I can never know peace and rest. I will not put myself in an eternal sleep this time around. Instead, I will hunt the vampire race to extinction. Then, I will put myself to sleep, so that my cursed bloodline will not be a hindrance to humanity." Turning around, he walked away. "Farewell, Belmont. We'll not meet again."

Suddenly, Cecilia rushed in front of him, blocking his path.

"Then I'm going with you!"

Alucard shook his head. "You are a human now, Cecilia, something that I can never enjoy. Go, and live a normal life."

"With what, Alucard?! My family is long gone, I've been declared legally dead ages ago, and I have no direction in life! I'm coming with you! At least with you, I can use my medicinal skills to assist you, as well as help you destroy these abominations!"

Without answering, the Dhampire just walked away. Cecilia ran right in front of him once again.

"I'm coming with you, Alucard, whether you want me to or not! Allow me to assist you in your cause. It's the least I can do. Besides………I……" she blushed as she shook her emotions to the back of her head. "Look, just take me with you! I can be very useful, you know that!"

After a few seconds of silence, Alucard finally spoke.

"Then you come at your own risk. I cannot guarantee your survival, and my path is a long and dangerous one."

Cecilia nodded. "Let's go."

Waving farewell to Rachael and Nate, Cecilia walked with Alucard. Rachael and Nate continued to watch them leave until they both disappeared into the forest.

"Well, I hope things turn out well for them." Nate said.

"Yeah, I hope so too." Rachael added. "Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, for everything."

"No problem………Rachael?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what I said to you after you mentioned about kissing me like that?"

"Hm? You mean the part where—"her words were interrupted by the lips that planted themselves upon hers. She blushed profusely.

Nate broke the kiss, laughed shyly, and smiled. "Well, I 'did' warn you, right?"

Rachael nodded absentmindedly. Her blissful thoughts were quickly interrupted by a helicopter noise. She quickly looked up. Nate was waving at them.

"Well, looks like our rides here." He said. "You coming?"

Rachael smirked at his question. "No. I planned to walk all the way home by foot!"

Nate laughed at the sarcasm she used in regards to his obvious question.

Later, when the helicopter arrived, Nate, Rachael, and the other crew boarded it, and it flew off into the horizon, leaving quicker than it had arrived.

THE END

Well, that's it. Sorry it took so long to make updates. School work and such can be a pain at times. Anyways, I hope you liked it. Feel free to either review and/or send an email to 

Once again, I hope you liked this story.


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